Fox and Vixen
by WhiteDevilMGN
Summary: An alternative take on Naruto's journey in which an unexpected twist of fate has led to Jiraiya upholding his duties as a Godfather in an unexpecting way. Featuring a strong and smart(er) Naruto and OC. Watch has Konoha is turned upside down on its head as a new blonde arrives to challege Naruto for the position of most unpredictable ninja. Pairings: NaruHina/more pending.
1. Chapter 1

Greetings to all, here's hoping you enjoy Anime as much as I do. English/Grammar isn't much of a skill set for me so bear with it and enjoy my first attempt to writing a Fanfiction of any kind. **WARNING :: This story is rated M for language, graphic depictions, violence, gore, possible sexual themes, and overall laziness to deal with FCC classifications.** Hope you enjoy reading a slightly different telling where Naruto is no longer a complete idiot that he was made out to be and for the appearance of another main character. Yes it is an Original Character but don't let that dissuade you as they should fit right in with the cast.

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 **DISCLAIMER::** I do not own Naruto or any of the Characters associated with it. I am just writing a Fanfiction

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Please keep in mind, once again I own nothing, I might own the OC I don't want to begin figuring out the ridiculousness stink that is rights ownership. At least for time being. If you like it give a shout out and have fun. Just know I typed for 82 hours straight working on this and that the only thing I own is the pain in my fingers. Please respect that and don't go flagging and flaming needlessly, everyone will loose out on reading and only I'll get to enjoy it cause I have my original draft text file.

Enough about me and BS legal junk go ahead and enjoy.

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 **Chapter 1 :: Mikon Umegaki has Arrived**

"Fuin!"

The intensity of killing intent faded from the atmosphere in the forest clearing vanished as the last of the Kyuubi was sealed within the sleeping blonde child. The barrier that prevent all from entering dissolved as Minato drew his last breath, collapsing to the ground. Sarutobi Hiruzen rushed forward picking up the sleeping Naruto. As he watch helplessly as the two died in front of him.

"Forth Hokage!" "Lady Kushina!" The two shinobi following Hiruzen rushed over to the fallen ninja in worried concern.

Hiruzen stood there for what felt like and hour, lost in worried thought. How could any of this have happened? The peaceful night they had just experienced gone in an instant. Obliterated by the violent howls of the Kyuubi no kitsune and the warpath it carved. How did something thing like happen during Kushina's pregnancy? Where their preparation insufficient? How did the Kyuubi escape? Why did it appear in the middle of the village? Was it a natural cause due to a mistake or an intentional attack on the village? A sharp cough from a gravely injured Kushina drew him from his thoughts.

"Take her to the Leaf Hospital immediately! Summon the Medical Ninja!" Hiruzen ordered, time was against them, a quick gaze showed that Minato was dead but perhaps Kushina could be saved...

"Lord Third..."

He quickly turned and knelt before her. Blood flowed freely from where her sternum once was, a large gaping hole that bleed profusely. The wound caused by the Kyuubi's nail was deep and Hiruzen could do nothing but listening to Kushina's last words. With her final breath she passed out passing from the world. She smiled as Hiruzen swore to her as he affirmed her final wish.

"Kushina! I promise..." He cursing his weakness, he looked down at a sleeping Naruto. He would make sure her final wish was fulfilled. He would look after their child and make sure he had a bright future. It felt as if the world had stopped to grieve, but time flowed continuously as medical nin arrived and attempted to revive the two beloved shinobi. Minutes past as the leaves fell from the trees an eiare silences following the wind.

"Lord Third!"

Awakened from his thoughts yet again noticed that one of the Medical Shinobi leaning over Kushina calling for him. Hiruzen focused on what the Medic found, his gaze fell upon what laid ominously unmoving on the ground before them. His eyes widened in shock. "How could this... summon Jiraiya and speak of this to know one, not even me." His voice betrayed his internal turmoil. Despite his calm orderly commands, his thoughts were in confusion and disarray.

"Inform Shikaku and Ibiki to meet with me later, privately. And bring everything here to my office, no one, I repeat, no one is to see or speak of anything regarding this under penalty of treason and death.. The Medical Ninja nodded, even they didn't know what to make of this situation and wouldn't dare argue with a ex- with the kind of killing intent he was leaking.

 **\- Hokage Office -**

Hiruzen sat in the office his gaze firmly looking at the bundle in his arms. He winced slightly , his arms cradling a red clothed bundle. It had been a week since the funeral of both Minato and Kushina and his reinstatement as the Hokage. Athough it brought little peace of mind for him, at least from this chair he could care and shelter Naruto from those that would harm him.

He lifted his head up to face the two subordinates in front of him, recalling the words of the medics and how they said they should kill "it" before it was too late. It didn't take much effort to deal with the two of them with Ibiki's aid.

Before him stood in silence Shikaku Nara and Ibiki Morino, though Hiruzen was unsure as to whether their silence was that of being in thought or in morning. Perhaps it was a little of both. A long and 'private' discussion was held every night about the events that transpired that night for the entire week since about what should be done from hence forth. He had called these two as they were the most trustworthy with such sensitive information. After all one was the head shinobi strategist and the later was in charge of village intelligence.

Neither Jounin knew what to make of the new realization that came about from the events that transpired that night. With a sigh and grumbling about something being "troublesome", Shikaku came up with a solution to the current predicament, though it was not one Ibiki particularly liked. The scared man kept giving the two of them the evil eye at his displeasure.

Each time his gaze fell on the Nara he responded with a mumbling of how "troublesome" everything happening was. Hiruzen however would not budge and ignored it. As far as anyone was concerned the Hokage's mind was made up and nothing would change it. Now they waited for the final pieces to their plan to arrive.

"So its true, they both died..."

Hiruzen turned his head to see a heart struck Jiraiya staring at the bundle in his arms. The man looked depressed as hell, and it looked like he lost a lot of his complexion from learning about what befell his prized student. Hiruzen noded in silence not daring to look directly at his apprentice just yet.

"And Naruto?" Jiraiya asked reluctantly?

"He is sleeping soundly." He gesturing to a crib in the corner of the room, he watched as Jiraiya moved his way over to the crib. Placing a finger forward a small Naruto cuddled into it. A smile graced his aging features. The conforting gesture brought back a bit of his complexion. "I promise to take care of you, so don't worry Naruto."

"Unfortunately that may no longer be possible. I need you to leave Naruto here and..."

"No!" Jiraiyas response was loud and dignifying unlike mans usual banter. If one saw the look on his face they would not believe it belonged to the man who self proclaimed himself to be a super pervert. "I promised both of them. As his Godfarther I..."

Hiruzen interrupted his dignifying and justified claim with a firm gaze, using a single hand call for Jiraiya for patience and to hold his words at bay. "You are his legal guardian Jiraiya and I can't change that nor would I, but you must see this first." He gestured to the red bundle in his arms lifting it up for Jiraiya.

Walking back to Hiruzen he took the bundle that Hiruzen had been holding in his arms. As he took it he winced at the burning sensation he felt he took hold of the bundled, his expression turning to wordless shock as he saw its contents. "What is...? Sarutobi sensei please tell me what happened, How could something like this..." His words fell short uncertain no long understanding what to make of the situation he was looking at.

Hiruzen nodded turning his head to all present telling him everything he had learned. Although Ibuki and Shikaku already knew everything they stayed in order to convince Jiraiya if it became necessary. For an hour Jiraiya stood there speechless as the shinobi heralded as "The Professor" explained what lead to this strange twist of fate that Jiraya now held in his arms. He looked down at the bundle, his thoughts a mess. Minato, Kushina, the Kyuubi, the Council, the Village, and of course Naruto contended and battled out viciously in is mind for dominance.

His face contorted as the battle quickly shifted between his desire, his wants and his wish. His desire to protect the village, his wanting to raise Naruto, and his wish to not abandon the promise he made to Minato and Kushina to raise their child.. As he continued to contemplated his own thoughts he had to admit Shikaku's plan made sense. It even took his wishes into account, however it would still mean abandoning his responsibility as Naruto's Godfather, leaving him in the village alone.

Hiruzen spoke up first breaking the new silence. "By doing this you won't be braking your oath to Minato, after all not even he could foresee this," gesturing to the bundle. "True it was in error on our end but now we must act quickly. I'm not saying you can't return to him and look after him but..."

Jiraiya's hand stop Hiruzen's clarification. He understood all of it already, not even he would believe that such a series of mistakes would lead to this astonishing event. He even knew that it would only be for a few years, just long enough that know one would be able to make the connection. After thirty minutes of silent debate in his head even Jiraiya knew this was the best way to protect Naruto and fulfill his role as Godfarther even if Naruto came to hate him for it.

"No, as you said this is the best method. If people found out about this is would be a mass panic as well as multiple attmpts to kill him. The less people who know and the fewer associations to Naruto..." He looked back at the crib. "Doing this will keep him safer and no one will target..." he stopped talking as he look back down to the bundle he was holding.

"Its just..." Jiraiya heart ached as he tried to rationalize the logic of abandoning his newborn godson. Loosing his prized pupal and the vibrant Uzumaki was bad enough but having to now leave the village for who knows how long. To leave Naruto alone in the currently grieving village. He knew however that this was the surest way to prevent a new disaster and protect Naruto and Konohagakure simultaneously.

"Order it..." Jiraiya's words finally dredged out, "If its an order from the Hokage at least it will be easier to swallow."

Hiruzen nodded in understanding. This was after all no different from tell a parent to neglect their child. "Very well, Sannin Jiraiya you are hereby ordered onto a long term surveillance and observation mission of highest and upmost secrecy and in adherence to my lawn no information regarding this mission shall be spoken, revealed, or told to any individual directly or indirectly until said individual in question reaches the rank of chunin or wishes its disclosure to another or others of their choosing. Until the mission is complete you are not to return to the village and in the event it is required that your return be minimal known to none but those present. You are the only one who can pull this of. Do you understand?"

"Hai!"

"Very well you will begin immediately, this mission will official be complete when you feel that there is no risk of threat to the village or that the risk is minimal enough that it can be managed with proper preparations in all situations both domestic and foreign."

"Hai! **Tōton no Jutsu** "

With a hand seal, the Toad Sannin vanished into thin air and disappeared. Hiruzen knew this was the best method to protect the village and their interests but it was still no less a painful decision."As you both have heard, this mission we have given him is of the highest secrecy. I expect both of you to be of aid when it is required. I'm counting on you"

Shikaku simply squatted rubbing the back of his head. "Well this needed to be taken care of, even if it is troublesome." Hiruzen simply nodded at this; "For now you may both leave. We will discuss this again later if you have any arising concerns." With a nod the two left leaving one reappointed Hokage to feel 30 years older then he actually was all alone in the room. "I'm getting to old for this"

 **\- 4 years later :: October 10th :: 9:48pm -**

Sarutobi felt dead; no that wasn't it. Hollow? Empty? Crushed? Depressed? There was no one word for it. Even if one searched all through all the Elemental Nations there was no grave deep enough to hold him, his pain, and his feelings of hatred for himself for being so incompetent. Never was he so thankful for his students prolonged absence from the village.

If he were here he wouldn't have blamed Jiraiya for beating him to an inch of his life if not all the way. He would even welcome it willingly for failing his pupil. Hiruzen looked down at a the now four year old golden blond child, pale as a ghost and just as unnaturally still. Motionless Naruto was lying in the hospital bed, a hand from one Inoichi Yamanaka atop his forehead; IV's filled with blood hanging from the IV stand delivering their contents to the boys left arm.

Hiruzen had hoped the village would treat Naruto as a hero. To see him as the boy who carried the heavy burden of contently protecting the village from the strongest monster to ever bring disaster to the village. It didn't take even a week after Minato and Kushina's deaths for the village to direct their feelings of fear and hatred at Naruto. In fact it didn't even take a day for everything to fall apart. Konoha's gossiping wives ensured that any attempt to prevent his nature as the Kyuubi's container proved fruitless.

In hopes of preventing the hatred from reaching the younger generation and Naruto, Hiruzen forbid any talk or hinting on the subject of the Kyuubi and any physical harm being directed at its jailer. How the people could so easily attempt to attack and bring harm to the newborn child he just couldn't understand how they justified it. He wasn't even a week old then.

He lowered his head in shame. Naive, he was naive. The law stopped their directness but didn't stop them from using other methods of harming the boy. He should have paid more attention. Even if the village was a military dictatorship with him at the top, that certainly didn't mean he had absolute authority over all of Konohagakure.

The merchants and civilians held the rights to and how they conducted their business and the upbringing of their children. Only the civilian council had any real political sway over them and although only an advisory aid for the Hokage, appointed there by the man himself, he could no longer had the power to dictate their actions nor those of the civilians except in a states of emergency.

How ironic, the title of Hokage gave him the authority to protect the blond but now the very title of Hokage bound and prevented him from helping the boy more directly. So long as the boy was a citizen and not in the academy or a shinobi Hiruzen could do little to nothing. He stood there reflecting on the days final moments of the day up till the realization of the nightmare he was currently living.

 **-Flashback no Jutsu-**

Hiruzen was making his way down the main street of Konoha, his white haori gracefully floating over him, his red full-length kimono gliding across the street as he walked. Making his way towards the poorer region of the village; tonight he had an interesting plan to surprise a particularly special boy. The stench of booze, trash, poorly maintained buildings along with the occasional drunkard made it without a question one of the less desirable places to live in the village.

If not for Danzo pointing out having the 'child' living in a better and more populated area would disrupt the peace and would breed anxiety in the village he would have had him live anywhere but there. And so to 'protect' the village it was determined that Naruto to live in the less populated and poor district.

It had only been a few days earlier that Naruto had been kicked out of the orphanage. Its was all a farce, the owner only wanted to be done with the boy and so used the rationalization that the boy was a hazard to the kids after a small skirmish and used that justification as a means of ridding the orphanage him. While Hiruzen could have forced them to take the boy back in, the hatred in their eyes told him it better not to, that they would go to even greater extremes. It was also very possible that by enforcing such a thing, that when time came when Naruto truly needed his support he would be cornered by the council unable to do anyting under the claiming of abusing his authority.

It was almost like it was planned too. As if they had been telepathically informed the council summoned Hiruzen to discuss the boy "relocation" the moment he got word that he had been kicked out. It amazed him how quickly they responded to prevent the boy from being having any happiness in his life.

At the summons with some negotiating and a stern eye glare from the Hokage, Naruto was given a room in an apartment on the top floor of the complex in the poorest district. Of course this was under the condition that a few genin, payed by the council of course, be hired to 'refurbish' the building for the boy on a bi-monthly basis. It was no two star hotel however it had running water, electricity, gas, and would be maintained so long as the council didn't want to anger the Hokage. Although it was only maintained just to the point that it could be considered safe enough to live in. In the end it would suit the boy's needs and requirements well enough.

Hiruzen used the phrase 'well enough' very loosely, but was still displeased at the general populous and council as well as his lack of authority. At the very least he didn't need to worry for the boy from being the victim of the more unruly individuals nearby, having had assigned two ANBU to be stationed around the boy at all times. He managed to pull this off with the excuse of Naruto being the Leaf's important jinchuuriki, and to "keep and eye on him should he unleash his inner demon."

Not two days after Naruto moved in did the other tenants and landlord of the apartment move out. By the end of the week the general block became deserted much to the Hokage's growing displeasure. Hiruzen stroked his goatee in thought, at the very least the boy had a place to live and with less people around, Naruto would encounter less hatred if only a bit less. "Why do the villagers have so much hatred for the child?"

He already knew the answer; It was their ignorance and illogical need to blame the boy. In the end it didn't really matter, after all it was possible for Hiruzen to prevent it. If he informed the village of his parentage, Naruto would be heralded as a village treasure. This however would also have Iwagakure jumping at the chance to end Naruto's life and the last of the Namikaze line. He felt like it was an excuse but he knew it was true, Iwa really would kill Naruto if word became known. And Konoha did have a tendency for people sneaking in unnoticed. He felt box in between two impossible choices with no correct answer.

The atmosphere of the village didn't help his thoughts. It should have been a day of celebration and respect to those who sacrificed themselves during the Kyuubi's attack. Instead it had became a day when the village's hatred of the boy was at its peek and their glares at their darkest and most malicious. Although it was a day greatly ignored by the majority of village with the few exception being those who lost a loved one during the attack and for those who spotted Naruto by chance during the comings and goings of life. Hiruzen recalled each time he saw the people glare at the boy and couldn't help but recall how he failed to fulfill Minato's wish for Naruto to be a hero.

Continuing his way through the village, the Hokage seemed out of place in the slums of Konoh. He however didn't care as he had every intention of celebrate the boy's fourth birthday and the completion of his own apartments renovations. The boy was particularly depressed as of late and for his birthday Hiruzen hoped that treating him to his favorite meal would hopefully raise his spirit. In his hand Hiruzen held a all-Naruto-can-eat ticket for Ichiraku Roman.

Hiruzen recalled the joyous feelings that he felt from the establishment's owners willingness to celebrate the boy's birthday. It was also funny how the boy's love and appetite for ramen was just like his mothers, absolutely bottomless. Hiruzen focused his gaze as he arrived at Naruto's apartment, noticing the additional paint job on its walls. "Didn't I just have a group of genin clean the graffiti yesterday?"

Across the entire building were degrading remarks to the only inhabitant of the building. "Die", "Go Away Freak", and "Demon Brat" being some of the less incriminating phrases on the building. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he shook his head. "And a new law won't change anything since graffiti is illegal already; guess I'll just assign some low chunin or genin team to clean it again and stand guard."

He continued his walk to the apartment gate nodding in thought when he suddenly froze in mid stride. The atmosphere became heavy as Hiruzen tensed at the sudden crawling sensation he felt in his gut. Hiruzen raised his hand and two ANBU appeared at Hiruzen's side. One with a cat-like mask with red markings covered in a pale tan robe and the other a ninja with spiky gravity defying silver hair wearing a dog-like mask with red and black markings.

"Hokage-sama?"

Hiruzen remained silent focusing all of his senses on his surroundings trying to understand the familiar sensation of unease. Suddenly his eyes widened, "It can't be..." his voice trembled slightly which gave the ANBU pause. In a split instant the aging Hokage's calm demeanor vanished shifting into what could only be described as shear panic as he rushed into the building with the two ANBU following in close pursuit.

There was no indication, no guarantee for what his instincts told him. It was more like a sixth sense gained from surviving countless battles. After two wars a person learned ones gut was the greatest indicator of impending death or trouble. At that moment Hiruzen felt that sudden sensation which was forebodingly similar to what he felt just after leaving the Second Hokage to his death as he withdrew from the battlefield all those years ago.

As the three approached Naruto's apartment floor they took paused as two more ANBU appeared kneeling in respect to the man. They where taken aback by the less then calm Third Hokage. "Lord Hokage?"

"Has anything strange happened while guarding Naruto? Has he left the apartment? Has anyone else entered?" Hiruzen's voice held his usual tone of absolute command and authority though his heart was trembling in a multitude of uneasy quakes. His mind scream at him, desperately hoping that his instincts were wrong. The two ANBU shook their heads in response to the questions.

"No Hokage-sama, nothing different or out of the ordinary today. Around high-noon after getting kicked out of one of the local shops again, he made his way back and hasn't left. Other then that nothing of of significance happened."

Hiruzen felt his tension relieve a bit before the Silver-haired ANBU spoke crushing any hope of him being wrong.

"I smell blood..."

With those three words all individuals present became tense. Two fearing for Naruto's well being and and the other three for their own well being from the Hokage's chilling demeanor at this revelation.

The group slowly approached the door reluctantly not wanting to greet the horrifying scene that may lie behind the closed door nor rush into the uncertain situation. The silver-haired ANBU knocking on the door... no response. "Naruto are you there?" No response came. A cold shiver gripped his spine, as did Hiruzen's. As if of one mind and will with Hiruzen's, the ANBU broke down the door and took defensive positions inside.

The room was empty and clean, nothing out of place no signs of a struggle, nothing. The room was dark and there was no sign of the boy. Only the bathroom light was on and unfortunately so too was it the source of the smell of blood. Making their way inside they opened the door. Hiruzen was not prepared for what lie beyond the door.

The floor was flooded with water overflowing from the small tub. The usually white floor tiles were pinkish from the transparent red liquid that carpeted the rooms floor. The walls were coated with numerous splatter marks of scarlet red blood. The smell was gut wrenching as the diluted red water on the floor and semi-hardened blood on the walls mixed with the pungent smell of degraded drywall and rust. And there, slumped in the corner collapsed in a heap with one arm over the toilet basin was the form of a small child with an old rusted fragmented kunai hanging loosely from his chest.

Hiruzen trembled as he rushed over to the blood soaked child, removing the kunai and kneeling over the boy, picking up his delicate form into his arms. The boy was light, to Hiruzen it ominously felt like the boy wasn't even there. The boy clearly malnourished and weak limped helplessly in his arms.

His white shirt was practically torn apart from numerous stab marks and the flame like symbols that decorated it now blended in with the shirts new red stained color. The boys skin underneath the stained and torn shirt was an unhealthy creamy white that bordered transparency. Although no wounds where present it was terrifyingly clear what had happened as the experienced ninja present could tell from his shirt alone that the damage was self-inflicted.

Cradling the boy in his arms he withheld his rage as he turned to the ANBU. His white haori and red kimono slowly soaked up the blood diluted water on the bathroom floor becoming an ever matching color of red as he slowly rose from he knees. Hiruzen shook, his experience told him that what the boy attempted to do did not end as a painless endeavor. The boy must have tried his hardest to get bypass the Kyuubi's natural healing ability to end up in this state.

"Kakashi..."

The ANBU in question stiffened, to call him his name while in uniform was a clear sign, Hiruzen was no longer in the mood for rules and protocol. What ever he was about to say he would except no answer but one and he would only accept one result, success.

"Retrieve Inoichi Yamanaka, and meet me at the Leaf Hospital. The rest of you get my Medical Nin to treat Naruto and a safe room withing the Hospital."

His voice was level and calm but this did nothing the ease the tense moment. The instant he finished his sentence all ANBU present vanished in a blur knowing that failure was not an option for fearing the Saratobi's calm wrath should the boy die.

Hiruzen slowly walk out confirming that the boys body could endure the trip to the hospital. As he looked him over he couldn't find hide nor hair of any wounds from mere moments ago. The Kyuubi's healing powers were truly amazing. How exactly did the boy manage to end up in this state with such power inhibiting him? Trying to puzzle the situation together as he left the nightmarish room, the boy muttered in his near death-like slumber words that would haunt Hiruzen for the coming week.

"I-I'm... ot... a... onste... W-why... n't...I... ie?...don't... be...alone...an...more."

Hiruzen could no longer hold back his tears, how could he allow it to have come to this. He couldn't save Minato, watched Kushina die, order Jiraiya to leave the boy in his care, swore to protect him and this was all he could show for it.

Hiruzen's silent tears fell relentlessly. Never in his life had he felt like a complete failure to such a degree as he did at this very moment. No, not even the time he stood helplessly as Minato used the **Shiki Fūjin no Justu** to seal away the Kyuubi or when he left Orochimaru escape from him.

The all-Naruto-can-eat ramen ticket fell onto the flooded floor. Slowly it was dyed red as Hiruzen walked off with Naruto still limp and weak in his arms.

 **-Kai-**

"L-Lord Hokage..."

Hiruzen looked turned his head from the window heaving stared at the rest of the hospital for some time. After ensuring the proper treatment was given to Naruto he had everyone minus Kakashi and Inoichi vacate the general vicinity of the room. Kakashi quickly patrolling for anyone who might eavesdrop on the situation and Inoichi settling in to work on the boy. The management threw a fit upon seeing a blood soaked and stained Hokage when he first arrived carrying weak Naruto.

As if they were an after thought, he walked right past them giving a glare that even the shikigami would be threatened by. Like hell would he let Naruto die here at the hand of the ungrateful doctors he knew littered the halls. He swore they would become the reason for Naruto to hate hospitals. While some of them might not try anything under the Hokage's watchful eye, he wasn't about to risk it.

Under the care of his trusted ANBU medical squad the boy was now on a path to full recovery. This fact however freed his thoughts for a new question to arise. What triggered this tragedy? It was not his original reasoning for summoning Inoichi Yamanaka, however it was now. He needed to know the reason why.

His attention returned to Inoichi. The blonde haired man removed his hand from the frail but quickly recovering boy, his job complete. He stood silently shaking ever so slightly. For a moment it looked like Inoichi had forgot that Hiruzen was with him, until the Hokage spoke and he showed no surprise."Well, Inocichi?

Nodding he replied, "I've done what you asked. I've delved into the boy's memories of the last forty-eight hours." His body shook more violently as his mind recalled the particularly dark faces of the villagers and some of their less humane treatment of the boy. His voice trembled slightly as he continued, "a-and please forgive me for any civilians I kill on my way home tonight."

Hiruzen raised an eye at this,slightly concerned with abrupt turn in attitude. "What do you mean?"

Inoichi last show of restraint broke as he slammed the back of his fist into the wall, taking a good chuck of it out. "THOSE AROGANT, GOOD FOR NOTHING, PIECES OF ROTTING SCUM! How could they push a child to such lengths as... th-this!"

Inoichi was fuming, a lone vain on his forehead pulsated violently, threatening to repaint the now blood stainless naruto and hospital room. With each syllable of his rant, Inoichi's fist took out a bit more of the white hospital wall. His volume steadily growing softer with each strike as he reasserted control.

The Hokage waited for Inoichi to calm himself. It was almost as refreshing to see another shinobi get just as worked up over Naruto as it was surprising to see the usually calm and cool Yamanaka shouting in unbridled rage. If he had to guess the caused by experiencing the deep hatred the boy experienced from both citizen and ninja alike. The feeling didn't last long as he sweat-dropped at the thought of having to pay for the wall damages since he used his name to check in so as not to used Naruto's. Taking a puff from his pipe he exhaled a small plume. As he calmed his own nerves before speaking, gently and calmly he spoke.

"It's uncommon for you to loose your cool like that, Inoichi. I take it you found something of note."

Finally his usural composure returned he turned to face Hiruzen."I'm sorry, Lord Hokage, its just seeing his memories... my little Ino-hime just had her forth birthday I just couldn't help compare their ages and..."

"I understand. I assume something incriminating happened for you to be so enraged?"

Inocichi shook his head, "just the opposite, not a single person broke a single one of your laws. At worse they simple threw him out of their stores roughly or only offered to sell him expired produce. If you wanted to know who or what pushed him over the edge I can honestly say if it was any one individual thing, it was the village itself."

"The village?"

With sorrow filled eyes, Inoichi patted the boys unruly hair, nodding at the boy, "Yeah, if anything it was the atmosphere and the people of the village. Especially their eyes... yes it was their eyes... they may not have been calling him "it" but those weren't the eyes one used to look at a human but the eyes that glared daggers at a demon. Eyes that transmitted strong desires of destroying and tormenting another in the cruelest of ways. In each of their eyes I saw a different way, a different method by which they envisioned the boy's demise."

Hituzen looked down in disappointment. Despite his wishes it was clear the village was insistent on making Naruto the scapegoat of their hatred. Taking another puff from his pipe he let out the exasperation he had been holding in. "Perhaps it would be best to have him enter the academy early..."

Inoichi nodded in agreement, "It would probably be best to do so, however it won't be enough." The calm Inoichi's eyes looked at Hiruzen almost patronizingly, though Hiruzen knew that was due to his own guilt and not the blond's fault. "The boy needs a family or at the very least a friend with no bias towards him that he can rely on. I can convince and have my daughter befriend him, but even my little-hime won't be enough to save him on her own. Not when hes fallen this far in despair"

A grim silence followed his words. "How exactly did Naruto..." Hiruzens words were caught in his throat. "The Kyuubi's chakra should have prevented..."

Inoichi's flinched, "W-well, you are correct in that Kyuubi's chakra healed him s-so... well if its anything to go by the boy's failure wasn't from a lack of trying." Inoichi's attempted joke fell on a deft audience. He immediately regretted it afterwards seeing the Hokage's less then humorous glare.

"S-sorry, the boy first started with small cuts but each one just kept healing back up. From there the boy become more and more desperate and well..." A slight pause was shattered by another attack on the wall. "DAMNIT! He just continued to stab himself! W-with n-no regard for pain or suffering he-e just..." Inoichi's tears stained his face his voice hitching uncontrollably as a wave of emotion hit him. no longer able to hold the pain back. "Lord Hokage, he truly felt that death that it was the only salvation left to him."

Hiruken was silent, how could he allow things to come to this, to let the boy feel that nothing else but death could save him from his suffering. He stared at Naruto fighting back his own tears. He absolutely couldn't allow things to stay like this. He had to get the boy under his jurisdiction as quickly as possible.

However only a few exceptions were ever made that would allowed people to enter the academy before the age of eight. At earliest it would take a year to get the necessary paper work in order, and that was assuming the council didn't hinder him at every turn which they most likely would. He'd also need several families to support the enrollment before he reached the age of eight. This meant that until then the chances that Naruto would harm himself again was a real risk. Could he make it? One more year let alone four? Should he be refused, then what? He then had a stroke of genius that could buy them the time he would need.

"Neko" At the Hokage's call a single ANBU appeared. Underneath the porcelain mask, long straight flowing purple hair draped the standard ANBU uniform, her trademark katana currently missing as she would acquire it in the years to come.

A smile draped the Hokage's face. Yugao had proved to have a soft spot for Naruto and a temper that matched the size of that soft spot as well. Although two ANBU short in comparison to a few hours earlier in his anger, Hiruzen couldn't complain to Yugao about cutting the two down for allowing Naruto to do so much harm to himself. Even so Hiruzen needed to reprimanded her as she knew that kill to fellow shinobi was treasonous and was without doubt a grave crime. The only reason she wasn't condemned and killed right then and there was the simple fact she beat Hiruzen to the punch.

"Yes, Hokage-sama"

A conniving smile appeared on Hiruzen's features as another puff from his pipe escaped his lips. "I just came up with your punishment. Until Naruto enters the Academy you are to guard and watch over him twenty-four seven and make sure no harm comes to him. I wont accept failure in any form on this mission."

"O-of course, Hokage-sama"

Hiruzen smiled as he turned to the window purposely ignoring the beaming glow from the smile underneath Neko's mask. If he played his cards right he could even force the council to allow Neko's appointment willingly, after all, what worse punishment could there be in their eyes then watching after the Kyuubi Jinchuiki all day and all night? This would excuse the blatantly direct observations of the boy and the deployment of a powerful village resource for one "undesired" boy.

With Yugao watching him at least he'll remain safe until his entry into the Academy which now left the one problem. Healing Naruto's wounded heart. This was an entirely different and more difficult matter. And he couldn't risk placing himself or someone of trustworthiness to aid in that process less Danzo insinuate that Hiruzen was plotting against to civilians by molding the boy against them.

"Iroichi, how much of his memories can you alter?" A serious look appeared on Inoichi's face.

"I'm not sure. Memory manipulation might bring me too close to the seal, it was hard enough working around the Kyuubi's chakra to learn what happened. There's no knowing what might happen or how the fox's chakra would effect the jutsu in question."

Hiruzen grunted at this, "Very well, just do what you can." Placing his hand on the boys head, Inoichi nodded and focused his chakra as he channeled his clans secret technique. " **Kioku Shūsen no Jutsu** "

Slowly Inoichi began altering Naruto's memories, shifting them so that the boy would awake recalling the days events as just staying home and sleeping the awful day away. Thus for the duration of the increasingly slow process, shear silence reined.

Hiruzen watched as the man worked on the boy's memories not saying a word or risk of disrupting the process. When the task was finished Inoichi once again removed his hand from Naruto. Certain that at the very least he had completed the task successfully without inciting the fox's chakra, though he wasn't sure how many of the alterations would stick he at least avoided a worse case scenario. The case being bringing arm to the seal or permanent damage to Naruto's mind.

"Pardon the intrusion Hokage-sama." Standing in the doorway was a familiar ninja with his trade mark face mask and headband covering his left eye, gazed at the two in the room.

"Oh, Kakashi? What is it?" Hiruzen turned to the look at the Jounin. It hadn't even been12 hours yet and the Jounin had a dark bag under his visible eye and a noticeable slouch in his posture.

This incident seems to have shaken the man up more then Hiruzen originally thought. Kakashi seemed to be blaming himself with almost letting his sensei's son commit suicide. He had seen this pose before back when Rin and Minato died. It wasn't a good sigh if the depressing gloom he was practically dischargin constantly was anything to go by.

A clear hollowed expression was reflected in his eyes, eyes filled with shame in ones self. "Lord Hokage, I just received word from a ANBU messenger, they said they received a message that Jiraiya is on his way back to the village and though it was his hand writing it didn't say when or where is was return from it was quite unusual. I'm intercepted it since you said no one is to come near here."

If the message was genuine then that meant it must be concerning that. No, there is no guarantee that it was concerning that, but if it really was then he would be returning to the village which no warning as to when. It had to be. Hiruzens thoughts paused as he responded to the message, "Understood, for now keep watch on Naruto and return him to his room once his apartment has been cleaned up. As for you Inoichi, thank you for fulfilling my request, go get some rest."

"Hai!"

"Hai!"

As he left the room Hiruzen sighed. "Its just one thing after another isn't it" He returned to his thoughts once more. Jiraiya's return if real, was it an omen of what was to be impending doom or a blessing in disguise.

Turning to see the sleeping Naruto he remembering the beating that was most likely to come. He sweat dropped at this recollection. "Please don't cause this old man anymore worries then he already has Naruto."

He proceeded to walk back to his office. His footsteps felt heavier then normal, like he was wading through a swamp. His thoughts sunk deeper and deeper at the news of Jiraiyas possible return. He really was not looking forward to getting an earful when his student learned what he almost allowed to happened. As he walked into his office he looked at his desk and sighed."This is going to be a long night."

 **-Near the Yamanaka Flower Shop-**

Inoichi was still shaken from the days events. It was unsettling, how easy it was to overlap his daughter's image with Naruto, frighteningly easy. As he walked down the street he could make out Narutos apartment out in the distance. It was easy to see, The vibrant graffiti spewing insults from the villagers was easy to spot despite Konoha's naturally vibrant color pallet.

He knew that most of the village shunned to boy and made an effort to ostracize him, even the constant glares. But seeing and experiencing were two very different things. As a Yamanaka he was trained to distance himself and his feelings when diving into another person's mind.

However this proved difficult when he dove into Naruto's memories. In fact it proved undesirable, going so far as to willingly giving in as he dove further. How blind could the Village be to have allowed the boy fall to such a degree.

God forgive him should he encounter any of the numerous villagers he saw in the boys mind. If he crossed paths with the, he hoped he didn't Bend their minds and have them jump of do their deaths of the Hokage Monument. Even he was unsure how much self-control he had remaining in his body after what he had just experienced.

As he made his to the front door of the flower shop, he suppressed as many of the dark emotions he currently felt and reached for the door. The last thing he wanted was to show his family his current maelstrom of worries and hatred. As he opened the door, a flash of platinum blonde hair sped in front of his eyes and slammed into his leg.

Clutching onto him with small little hands the short hair girl looked up at him. A twenty five megawatt smile illuminated the shop as the cute little girls face stared up at her father. All of his dark feelings vanished in the instant he saw the now four year old Ino.

"Welcome home daddy." Her smile illuminated the room even more and hit Inoichi with all its brilliance. He knelt down and hugged the little girl. She might not be able to save him completely but theirs no reason she can't try and make it possible.

"Thank you my Ino-hime."

Ino flinched, she could tell something was wrong and looked at her farther straight in the eyes with a puzzled expression on her face. "Before I told you what the Yamanaka's Clan symbol, the bush clover meant. Do you remember?"

The yong girl nodded proudly placing her hands on her hips, she puffed her chest out with pride. "Of course, you said it meant positive love." Inoichi laughed at the display, his little girls made. "That's right, today I met someone who is in need of that trait that we Yamanaka pride ourselves in."

He patted Ino's head as she stared blankly, "My little hime, should you encounter an orange boy with golden blonde hair and blue eyes I want you share with him that positive love."

If Inoichi had ever encountered something cuter then his daughter's expression at that moment he had to have gone mad to forget it. The young girl spouted a odd pout of confusion as she tilted her head onto her shoulder, her brilliant blue eyes gazing back into his. "But why do I have to, can't you do it?" He couldn't resist as he pulled her into a hug, between her cuteness and Naruto's suffering he couldn't help but embraced her again. While in his affectionate embrace he whispering into her ear.

"That boy is in the dark and all alone, if left alone he may become lost forever to the darkness that surrounds him. He needs someone his own age to reach out and save him, and I want you who is strong in character to use that strength to give him the experience of positive love he has never received. So I ask you, will you reach out to him should you find him, since he is to far out of my own reach?"

Ino looked at her father, "Can you do that?" His words rang in her head. She nodded noticing the seriousness in his eyes. She didn't quite understand but her daddy wanted to help. And if she succeeded maybe she could make a new friend.

"But can I really help him?" She asked unsure of herself.

Her father normally was over protective, scaring away any boys that approached her, for him to ask her to approach one must have been serious. That and his eyes showed that he was very sad about something.

Inoichi smiled, "I'm sure if anyone can my little hime can." She smiled bright nodding her head.

As she ran off into the house a smile remained imprinted on his face, weave around the flowers on display. Even if she met him it would be a long and hard process to break the shell around his heart. But even so, it was a good start to helping the boy.

Now the only thinking preventing Naruto from making a true friendship would be his internal fear for adults and his reluctance to befriend her out of fearing the possibility of salvation being a lie.

 **-Hokage Office :: One Week Later :: Midday-**

Hiruzen sat in his office combating the growing mountain on his desk. It never ceases to amaze him how quickly the pile of papers grew if left alone long enough. Sighing at the never ending troubles of the week he continued his work. Running out of his smokes only made the long week that much more strenuous.

Having made his way out of the hospital he got yelled at for smoking in the building and disrupting operations in the building, then having to make numerous changes to the patrols so as for Jiraiya to enter unnoticed should he come, and to top it all off he ignored his paperwork for only a few days in order to get a jump on the Council with Naruto's attendance to the Academy early. The mountain before him the end result.

If Jiraiya was returning then that meant he would be bringing his "trouble" with him to his desk leaving his future just as bleak. Sighing again as he looked back at the mountain on his desk; The memory of being able to see the door over his desk flashed into his mind. He really wanted to cry.

Picking up another sheet he noticed it was a report from Neko that required his stamp. He smiled a little as he scanned over it. As he had predicted the council attempted to hinder him and prevent having the ANBU watching over him. It wasn't difficult to silence their attempts; He nearly stated that if not her then he would assign one of the members to look after him.

While they tried to argue against this, A well placed glare and foot left all opposition crumble. Slowly they began to fell in line. Eventually all protests were silenced and one not officially suspended ANBU Yugao Uzuki took her "punishment mission" in stride. As such the ANBU watched over Naruto continuously for the entire week never taking her eyes off him.

Her greatest fear was a repeat attempt on his life and wouldn't sleep out of fear for his well being. This however turned out to be unnecessary. The boy for the most part sat in a corner of his room either near or on his bed only getting up to eat or for when nature called. Whether it was a good or bad thing, the important truth was that he didn't attempt anything. It did make her task easier since the boy didn't leave his room, or the apartment building for that matter.

The apartment for one thing left Yugao stupified. Despite its rickety standing and even with its bi-monthly maintenance done on it by the genin the Council payed for, the complex always remained just barely safe enough to pass Konoha's building safety standards. Yugao knew that the villagers hated the boy but it seemed a number of shinobi did as well, having it in for the boy which surprised her.

On several occasions she notice shinobi sabotage the water supply to the apartment, though nothing hostile was added the most common act was simply cut access to the supply. Naturally Yugao returned it to normal before the kid noticed but she was beginning to see that it wasn't just one problem the boy had to deal with but a million small problems that tormented his poor soul. From tampering with the utilities, locking him in his building and the constant outsider treatment shinobi seemed to have their own ways of tormenting the boy.

She couldn't begin to understand exactly how he felt but she could guess as to how he felt. Though she was sure her guess didn't even come close to understanding how painful it was. Now that she observed him outside of his public loud-mouthed idiot expression, she firmly understood now that it was was just a mask of his making and that no one knew or had yet to meet the real Naruto.

In short her report was simple this. For an entire week Naruto had not been seen to have left the building for anything or any reason. He simply remaining hidden in his room sitting huddled in a corner with a glazed look in his eyes. Yugao informed Hiruzen that thankfully he showed no intention of harming himself again but still was concerned about the look in his eye.

His eyes reflected the hollow nature of his soul, just staring at nothing but loneliness. Yugao's concern now was more on his food supply stock. After a week of eating what remained, he was almost out of food. If he didn't go get more food she feared he'd try starving himself to death. Though considering he continued to eat while staying hidden in his room it seemed more of a hollow fear for the moment.

What the document didn't say was what was happening at his apartment at that exact moment. Yugao after a week of no sleep finally and had fell asleep. It was then that a strange and unexpected event occurred.

A small girl, wearing a sleeveless kimono-style blouse that was a solid yellow with an orange trim being held closed with an equally orange obi over a short-sleeved mesh shirt with a pair of dark blue shorts-like skirt made her way into the apartment. Her cloths were several sizes to large for her form with the exception of the mesh shirt underneath. Even though she was a few years too young for the cloths, with a few well hidden bands and strings holding the loose parts in place the cloths appeared to fit nicely and looked cute on her.

However her most prevalent feature was her brilliant long yellow blonde hair and dazzling sapphire blue eyes. Her hair was tied back into a short pony-tail and was anything but tamed. The girls hair flowed wildly and her bangs o her forehead flowed outwardly in odd directions. On either side of her face, two longer more tame strands of hair reaching her neck framed either side of her face. The bright yellow gold color only heightened here cute smiling features, especially her eyes which were a deep entrancing blue in which one could lose themselves in if they stared deeply enough.

"Huh, didn't expect this to be the place, but if jiji's as easy to read as I think he is then this is the place."

A brilliantly evil plotting smile took over her cuter on that was plastered on her face. "Hehe staying here means jiji won't fine me for some time. Heh-heh-heh-heh"

The girl chuckled at he brilliant plan as she ran into the complex.

 **-Naruto's Apartment-**

Naruto continued to sit in the corner of his room in between the bed and nightstand. He couldn't take it any more and no matter what happened no one even bothered to acknowledged him. Sure a few did but he knew that under neither their smiles the were looking through him with similar eyes as everyone else. Eyes filled with fear.

The adults though, Naruto couldn't trust them and most of the kids only looked at him in brief passing moments of life only to leave him all alone after they returned home never to look at him the same way again.

His existence became more fleeting as the Hokage-Jiji started seeing him less and less. The only one who looked at him with a genuine smile was vanishing from his life. Finally he couldn't take it anymore. He tried to end it all but his plan didn't go as planned. To his painful shock he couldn't stay wounded long enough as the wounds kept closing shut.

Naruto wasn't as stupid as everyone thought he was either. He knew it wasn't normal and this only made the insults of him being a demon sting even more. He was even starting to believe them.

To make matters worse ever since he tried to end his life every time he fell asleep he would dream about two massive glowing eyes behind what appeared to be a steel gate in what appeared to be a flooded underground complex of tunnels.

Each time a demonic growl would ring out shaking everything and every time and he would wake up in a cold sweet. He wasn't sure what to do, he couldn't sleep and food no long had any taste, He didn't even want to go out and eat ramon, fearing his favorite food would be just as tasteless.

So there he sat simply waited. He sat and waited for something to happen, for someone to help him, for anything really. However he felt it was more likely that the monster in his dreams would take him in his despair.

"BANG!" "THUD!"

Naruto jumped, he looked over his nightstand to the door of his apartment to see a smiling blonde girl looking at him. The door firmly closing behind her. She rushed over to the still "hiding" Naruto.

"Hey? Hey? Your Naruto right? Uzumaki Naruto? This is your place? Do you..." The energetic blonde before him shot him questions in such rapid succession that he felt like he was under a blitzkrieg. As he looked up at the girl he stared into her deep vibrant blue eyes, he was surprised. He couldn't see any hatred in them; non of the usual coldness behind them. When she finally stopped all he could do was nod slightly in response.

A big toothy grin appeared on her face. "Awesome!" She jumped like a spring on steroids. "Yosh, that balding Jiji won't come for me here. So I'll be sticking around her, kay?" With that she planted herself on Naruto's bed, jumping up and down finally landing with a solid plop as the sheets cushioned her impact.

"U-umm, w-who are you, dattebayo?"

The girl sat up and looked back at he blond with a massive grin.

 **-Streets of Konoha-**

A particularly disgruntled Ino was marching a war path through the village. At first she was keeping an eye out for the orange boy but despite this could not find the boy her father told her about. She found several blonds with blue eyes but none looked in pain or in lost loneliness.

And the biggest give away that she was looking for was on none of the people she found. not a single one had a trace of orange on them. "Mattaku, how is it so difficult to find a person in orange. It shouldn't be this hard."

Ino pouted as she made her way to her only last lead. She had made it her personal mission to find the ellusive boy. Supposedly the Hokage knew everyone in the village and if her daddy didn't know who the boy was then that meant the Hokage was the most likely person to know. As she followed her childish logic she looked down the street with piercing confident eyes. She would complete her personal mission to find the boy in question and nothing would stop her.

Thud!

Ino bumped into an invisible wall falling down to the ground. Just before she fell she saw the back of an old man with long white spiky hair. "sorry mister I wasn't... looking...were..." Her words trailed off as the old man had vanished.

"Mō... what was that about?"

It was then at that moment she spot a blur of orange her height flash by her peripheral vision. "was that?" While her mind tried to make sense of what just happened, her instincts screamed at her commandingly; "After him!"

Rushing and making her way in the direction of the blur as she chased it down around several corners she could make out an orange body and blond hair. As she gave chase she eventually made her way into the poorer district of Konoha.

"Why would they be going here? If someone catches me here I'll be in big trouble for sure." As she thought this to herself she face-palmed. If he lived here it would make sense. It would explain why she couldn't find him since she usually avoided the district. If he lived in such a poor district the odds of him being unhappy would be greater, the irony of it all was stupidly obvious it was being here having looked everywhere else.

"Mom is going to be so pissed when she learns I came here."

Making her way through the districts she finally arrived at a building which was the most painted building she had ever seen. "Who would paint such difficult words all over their own home, are they baka? And with such tacky colors, too."

She made her way into the building. Going from room to room she was starting to get pissed off. "Mattaku, its so dirty, its like no one even lives here. Taking her first step on the stairs her foot almost broke the floor board as she put her weight on it. "Gyah! This house is breaking apart. Hehe, its almost like I'm on secret mission." Floor by floor she made her way up to the top floor were she found herself at the last room, so far no sign of the blond and the last door was right in front of her.

 **-Hokage Office-**

With his stamp Hiruzen moved onto his other papers. He stopped in mid pose. "Should I be bracing myself for what you're about to lay onto me?" He didn't turn around but he knew Jiraiya was behind him standing in the window as always. "Your entrance today is a lot tamer then it usual."

As Jiraiya stepped inside he closed the window behind him, he placing a complex seal on the glass panel before moving to a shadowed portion of the room. "And with more caution then usual as well I see."

"Well its better to be careful in this particular situation." he stated as he leaned against the wall. His bangs covering his eyes from sight. "I heard about Naruto," Hiruzen stiffened, "I won't blame you for what happened. I'm in no position to do so and just like you I am as much to blame for not being around to look after him as you are." Jiraiya slumped down to a crouching position. Before looking up at his sensei.

"We both knew what the council and village would end up like this, We just ignored the fact that it was most likely to happen. People are always more inclined to blame rather then think, and to naturally to hate others when they do. Worse still, as the Hokage you have to protect those idiots and the boy from them. It's no surprise that your hands are tied up in such a delicate balancing act. With so much tape binding you down I'm actually impressed this didn't happen sooner. If I had that much binding tape on me that's holding you down, I'd gift wrap myself to Tsunade, Yegahahahaha."

His boisterous laughter cause Hiruzen to smile. Same old, same old Jiraiya. When his laughter died down he focused and became serious as his tone dropped down a bit. "So for now don't let that bother you." Besides thanks to you handling the tangled mess here it made it easier for me to operate."

His face turned to a more serious pose, no longer joking he was all business. "Have you heard of Akatsuki?" Not waiting for Hiruzen's reply he continued. "I haven't heard much but they appear to be a small group of S class missing nin but they seem to be gathering members. Their goal seems to be the eventual capture of the biiju."

Hiruzen exhaled, "Naruto, huh. That boy is just a magnet for trouble." Jiraiya roared out another belly full of laughter, "Yegahaha, yeah Minato was the same, always attracting all sorts of mischief. Dealing with trouble became a natural skill for him too. Although his troubles were almost always in the form of pretty women." Jiraiya sulked at the memory of the "lucky jerk" before he smiled warmly.

"Then Kushina was her own special kind of trouble for Minato. That girl, always pranking people and beating down anyone who laughed at her. Remember when she filled one of the scrolls I sent you with a hundred frogs, Yegahaha now that was a laugh, watching all the village panic when they hopped out of your office into the village, all while she laughed her ass off too."

The atmosphere brightened up at the memory, "Those were really peaceful days." Hiruzen nodded in agreement before realizing something was missing. "Speaking of bundles of trouble, what became of yours Jiraiya?"

"Actually that's what I wanted to talk about, I think its time I handed it back over to you so you can deal with it. I've done everything I could think of. Binding seals, Limiters, and numerous methods to seal away most of the power that it was leaking. Chakra can no longer be leak freely without passing through several heavy precautions.

In fact with my searching for Orochimaru and having to keep an eye open for more info regarding this group called Akatsuki actually allowed me to do some minor guidance as well. Regardless its best to hide a leaf in a forest after all and there shouldn't be any problems from here on out."

Its was dangerous enough traveling with the trouble magnet but lately Orochimaru's being on the move more so then usual had him worried.

"I might be mistaken but Orochimaru might end up with the Akatsuki."

Should that happen not even Jiraiya was sure if he could look out for and manage both his spying and the mission at the same time. Back when he first left the village four years ago he didn't get very far having to turn around and confront Orochimaru's and his betrayal.

Even if he held back due to his personal feelings, Jiraiya wouldn't lose to the twisted snake-sannin. Jiraiya may have been less talented and an perverted idiot, but unlike Orochimaru he never stopped his training and missions; Unlike the snake-bastard who stopped his training to focus on inhumane experimentation.

Still Jiraiya lost and it wasn't due to skill, but because he couldn't let himself win. In the first place he wasn't even sent by Hiruzen to confront Orochimaru. Not a few days earlier he had left with his secret mission from his sensei only to have to confront the traitor who was on the run on the road. Had it not been for the secret contents of his mission Jiraiya would have beaten Orochimaru and dragged him back to the village or waited for someone to pick him up at the least.

That was the problem though. Doing so would jeopardize the secrecy of the mission he had taken up. Weighing the mission and abandoning it to stop his childhood rival, he chose the prior. He felt torn and was greatly tempted to abandon his original objective. The only thing that stopped him was the still fresh and painful memory of failing Minato and Kushina.

He failed to be there for them and he wouldn't fail them this time. He now had to protect the last thing left of them, and that was the missions purpose. As their designated godfather and confident, he couldn't abandon the mission or their hopes.

The end result was a brilliantly staged battle where he let Orochimaru go, though not before placing a mark on him so as to make it easier keep tabs on the snake.

It still troubled the sannin immensely that he was forced to hold back and couldn't stop his rival and comrade as he desired too. Even though it haunted him, the funny thing was his secret mission allowed him to not become fixated on the betrayal of a friend.

Instead of grieving and wallowing in his failures the mission gave him purpose and focus, as well as some more free time for his research. And even in spite of the conditions the mission held it did the Toad Sannin a great deal of good as it forced him to look at the positives.

He succeeded in making sure Orochimaru was none the wiser and had him completely left in the dark. He was now able to tell whenever he was nearby as well as the general direction the man was in thanks to his seal. He also ensured no one knew anything about his new mission increasing his own skill set in the process. This resulted in him being able return to the village sooner then planned, and stay for a while if everything played out right.

With no associations to Naruto possible now he could returned and the best part Orochimaru wouldn't even bother looking into "it" for the time being since he did not any interest in Jiraiya.

Jiraiya wasn't the only one recalling the past encounter with the Snake Sannin. Hiruzen seriously needed a smoke as he held his breath shaking the thoughts of his own hesitation to deal with Orochimaru out of his mind. The last thing he needed was the extra stress burdening him at the moment. "Tell me everything, you got about the Akatsuki." After several minutes of Jiraiya explaining what he knew, Hiruzen nodded reluctantly.

Kakuzu, Jūzō Biwa , and an unknown leader along with a very skilled puppet master. If it wasn't for the constant score of troublesome burdens popping up one right after the others, Hiruzen would have figured this was all staged at his expense.

"Now that I think about it, where is your troublesome burden, I noticed it wasn't around when you arrived?" Jiraiya froze as he turned to look around him. Again, he thought, it happened again. He was the Great Toad Sannin one of the most experienced shinobi in the world and the girl had snuck off without his notice. He shouted in deep frustrated annoyance. "That damn brat!"

 **-Naruto's Room-**

"Me?" The blonde girl stood up, arms out in an exaggerated pose, one foot landing on the bedside table.

"I'm the Prankmaster known throughout the Land of Fire, the vibrant sexy orange apprentice to the great super pervert and sannin, Jiraiya-sensei. Future butt kicking all around Snakes and loud Kinouchi, Mikon Umegaki, has arrived!" With her monolog done, she stood proud of her perfectly choreographed and uninterrupted introduction. Several seconds passed and when she heard no response she looked down. "Whats wrong?"

Naruto was look up, still in shock of what was happening. What was going on? What was this person talking about? But what shocked him the most was what he was seeing as the girl completed her "introduction". He just blinked for a few more minutes before he stuttered a shy response.

"I-it's p-pink, dattebayo."

The blond on the floor, the one straddling the bed and nightstand, as well as the blonde new arrival standing in the doorway stood eerily still. A crow cawed in the distance as it flew by. A few moments passed between the two blondes blushed a brilliant shade of pink to match the boy.

"Kyaaa!" Mikon made in quick succession 5 hand signs, raising her hand as her finger was pricked by the bracelet on her wrist drawing blood, slammed it down in panic as she crouched down, a hand holding her kimono shut. " **Kuchiyose no Jutsu"**

A large reddish-orange and blue Gama came crashing down through the roof of the apartment bringing the room down with it. Mikon Umegaki had officially arrived.

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 **Chapter End**

And thus ends the first chapter. In Future updates I might add little notes down here at the bottom but I'm 42 hours too tired to attempt it for now so reply and tell me what you think. Would be nice if all you peeps enjoyed the continuation of the story as much as I enjoy thinking it up.

Also at the bottom of future chapters I'll be writing shout outs to those who notice hidden Easter eggs and references that I put in either intentionally or otherwise. This goes for those who's comments have helped progress these works.

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 **SHOUTOUT::** to hazeleyes180 and his/her marvelous read "Outfoxed" for inspiring me to start and write this my own story or at least attempt at it. Give Outfoxed a read and the attention it deserves :p


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER::** I don't own Naruto or any of the Characters associated with it. Deal with it!

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 **Chapter 2:: The Fox, The Toad, The Boar**

Yuago awoke, startled by the sudden explosive noise. In her half-awakened state she tried to make sense of what was in front of her eyes. What was once a complete but rundown apartment was now a pile of roof tiles, splinters, and furniture. And more surprising to her was the large orange frog sitting where Naruto's room once was.

She stood their from her perch before realization hit her.

"Naruto!"

She launched herself into the wreckage tearing away loose plywood and tiles searching for the boy. She was beginning to panic, how could she have let something harm the boy while she slept. Pulling away a large piece of what was once the boy's bed she found the boy in a state of stupefied shock. He wasn't responding much but was otherwise unharmed.

Yugao let out a sigh of relief. The boy was lucky, the bed, nightstand and room fragments ended up sheltering the boy during the sudden collapse. Now there was only one question in Yugao's mind, who would attack Naruto? Looking back at the large toad summon she made the connection that it was a toad summon but that left her more confused. "Why would Jiraiya-sama attack Naruto?" she asked herself.

Suddenly a yellow and orange object burst out of the rubble laughing madly. To Yugao's great surprise it looked like a female Naruto minus the endearing whiskers.

"Hahahah, That was awesome! How the hell did I do that? I'm so making that my official jutsu. I'll call it...ummm" She thought for a moment striking a cross legged thinking pose for a few seconds.

"I got it, " **Kuchiyose: Yatai Kuzushi no Jutsu"**

J/N: (Summoning: Take down the house Justu)

Wham! Just as Mikon proclaimed her new justu she received a punch from behind that threw her straight into the rubble. The perpetrator was a very pissed of Ino. The girls cloths and hair were a strewn mess of dust, dirt, and splinters. Grabbing Mikon by the collar shaking her violently she proceeded to beat the girl senseless. Ignorant of the observing ANBU, Ino released her fury at the crazy girl's reckless action, screaming at her without restraint.

"Baka! You almost killed me! And what the hell did you do?" Making a gestured to the wrecked building, "You just destroyed the entire building!"

Mikon just smiled sheepishly, with he hand rubbing the back of her head, "I know right, who would have though I'd bring down the roof? That was so awesome, Dettabane."

Holding a still stupefied Naruto, Yuago was staring at the strange seen in front of her. It wasn't every day an ANBU woke up to see a platinum blonde girl with torn cloths proceeded to relentlessly beat up the madly laughing golden-blonde hair girl into the ground. All the while a giant orange toad croaking in the background. She sweat dropped at the strange scene before deciding her course of action. Appearing in behind the duo Yuago caught Ino's fist in mid swing. "Both of you are coming with me" she said leaving no room for arguing.

 **-Hokage's Office-**

Yuago finished having the brats explain what just happened before Shunshin'ing out of sight leaving behind Hiruzen, Jiraiya and the three blonds. Hiruzen, staring down at the three children dropped his head in exasperation. He wondered if his second term as Hokage was going to continue to be this chaotic and hectic until he retirement.

Jiraiya on the other hand looked like he was about blow a fuse. His eyes were narrowed on one blonde

in particular as he spoke first.

"So let me get this straight. You ditched our meeting with Sarutobi-sensei, broke into Naruto Uzumaki's residence and destroyed it when you summoning Gama? Did I get all that right?"

Mikon smiled sheepishly with a smirk of pride on her face. "Yeah pretty much. Hey, hey, more importantly I finally summoned a fog smaller then your ego Ero-Jiji." she exclaimed excitedly.

"You damn brat stop causing me trouble! Also I told you stop calling me that you good for nothing gaki." Jiraiya shouted at Mikon as he ground his fists against her head, lifting her from the ground. Thrashing about she fired insults at him in response, "What do you mean damn Jiji. Your the one who's always getting us chased out of town because of your research!"

"Only cause you get us caught you showboating blonde!"

"Ahou Ero-Jiji!"

"Baka Kinpatsu-Gaki!"

A loud cough interrupted the two's bickering. Turning to see an exasperated Hokage and two very confused kids they stopped yelling and Jiraiya sighed before he started speaking. "Right, well talk about that later. Introductions, allow me the great Jiraiya-sama to introduce you all to Mikon Umegaki. My... adopted ward." Gesturing to the grinning blonde, Jiraiya knelt down and whispered into here ear, "Gaki, go play with those two kids while I talk with Sarutobi-sensei. But don't think your off the hook for that stunt."

Mikon smiled."Roger that, you wont get any arguments from me" she whispered back.

"Come on you two lets GO!" Mikon shouted.

Grabbing the two, Mikon dragged them out of the room at a blinding speed down the hallway. "We'll be back soon. Come on get the lead out you two. Lets go have some fun away from the Old-jiji and Ero-jiji." She shouted as she flew down the hallway. Ino and Naruto were in shock as Mikon dragged them through the air at full speed.

Ino was completely dumbfounded. Just who was this loud, hyper, and wild girl. Her whole day was becoming crazy. A disappearing old man, she was in a building as it was destroyed, a giant ORANGE frog appeared, and now she was being dragged out of the Hokage's office by the same girl who destroyed a building.

Naruto was thinking along the same lines. Who was this crazy girl. He had never seen her before or anyone else like her. She came into his room like she owned the place and destroyed it like it was nothing. But Naruto didn't care about that. He was too focused on her eyes. She looked at him, HIM, with no hatred, disdain, sadness, or pity. She just smiled while introducing herself like he was an actual person with feelings. Like it was the natural thing to do.

Naruto blushed a shade of pink as he recalled the similar shade of pink he saw back in his room before it was destroyed.

Back in the Hokage's office Jiraiya stared out the window as he watched the young girl drag the two kids with her to god knows where. "Geez. It doesn't matter where we go she's just as loud and obnoxious. It might be getting worse for that matter. Not even an hour and she's already broken something bigger then a china shop. I swear." Jiraiya said shaking his head.

Hiruzen chuckled, "She reminds me a lot of you when you were young. Still I think it was a bit reckless teaching her the Kuchiyose no Jutsu."

Jiraiya waved off his sensei's words of concern, making his way back to the front of Hiruzen's desk. "It wasn't much of a choice. The gaki's chakra is not only unique but highly potent. She needed some form of training to learn how not leak it everywhere she goes. Now its just a matter of her emotional state which so far hasn't been a problem. And while we're on the topic of potentially dangerous options, here you go." Jiraiya said as he placed a small scroll on the desk.

The small white scroll was no bigger than a water bottle with a blue string tying it shut. The symbols [制限] written on it glowed with a pulse of red light every so often at irregular intervals. Along with the blue string, Black end-caps with small paper seals on both ends held white scroll closed.

"Here's what we talked about from earlier. As things are now it should be safer in the Village then outside with me. Be sure to keep this safe, it will prove useful even should an emergency happen." Jiraiya spoke calmly with an air of warning. Hiruzen took the scroll and put it into his sleeve knowing full well the seriousness of the matter. If Jiraiya though it was safe enough not to be left in the village then Hiruzen had faith that it would safe in the village. What had him concerned now was where to keep it hidden. IF someone like Danzo or one of the other villages learned about it there was no telling what could happen.

A load screaming broke him from his thoughts.

"STOP DRAGGING ME AROUND AN LISTEN TO ME YOU BLONDE BAKA!"

Hiruzen turned to Jiraiya who had a face of exhaustion. Was the village really going to be safer now he wondered imagining the possible future piles of paperwork that the blonde child might bring to his desk.

 **-Middle of Konoha Park-**

Ino and Naruto were still being dragged along by Mikon and Ino had finally had enough. With a solid punch she smacked the girl into the ground.

"STOP DRAGGING ME AROUND AN LISTEN TO ME YOU BLONDE BAKA!" Ino shouted. This was not how she wanted her day to pan out and she was finally fed up with it all.

Finally free of the girls grasp Ino walked over to Naruto who was in a daze. Way to many things were happening all at once but in the end she achieved her goal.

"Yo, my names Ino, whats yours?" She asked taking the first step to making him her friend.

Naruto looked up at the girl. He wasn't sure what to do. Was she gonna hit him? He looked at Mikon currently eating dirt and then back to Ino. Two girls just entered his life. Both were wild, direct, and unpredictable. He wasn't sure what to do since he had always been the one who had to force people to notice him yet now twice in one day two people, girls even, greeted him. What was he suppose to do? Should he even do anything?

Ino didn't even notice the internal conflict Naruto was having before continuing. "I can't be friends with you unless I know you name. Come on its easy. My names Ino Yamanaka, I like flowers and shopping, my favorite food is pudding and I hate sashimi, nice to meet you."

Naruto continued to stare at Ino. This was the first time anyone wanted to be his friend. He was wondering if he was dreaming again. After years of being ignored he had numerous dreams of having friends and standing before him now was a smiling girl holding out her hand asking to be his friend.

Impatience got the better of Ino as she waited. With a pouting face she grabbed Naruto's hand and forcefully pulled him behind her. Dragging him through the parks grassy field she looked at him.

With kind eyes and a gentle smile she spoke inches from his face. "Fine, if you don't want to tell me your name that's fine. I've already decided I'm gonna be your friend whether you like it or not." Pulling him along she pointed at a field of flowers. "Since you have nothing better to do let's pick flowers together." Her words were forcefully and made it know that she wasn't gonna let him say no.

Naruto had never met anyone so forceful before and not knowing what to do just did as he was told. Being dragged along he followed obediently and when she stopped she sat him down. "Wait here for a moment." He waited for what felt like an half an hour. He just sat there watching her pick flowers and putting them together into the form of a crown. She moved around from one tree with strange green branches to a patch of white flowers. When she was finished she fiddled with the flowers she had acquired.

When she came back she had with her a white crown made of flowers and a green one made of what looked like strange pine tree branches. She was wearing the one made of white flowers and had the other in her hands. Sitting next to the boy she put it on his head.

"Did you know? Those green branches are called Thuja and represent Everlsating friendship. And these..." pointing to her own crown with a pause, "are white clovers and represent a promise." She smiled a sweet and gentle smile as naruto looked at her.

Naruto didn't need some one to make the connection or explain. He understood what she wanted to convey.

A promise of everlasting friendship.

Naruto didn't know what to say. He was on the verge of tears as he accepted the crown. His whole life he wanted a friend. But now it felt unreal, like a deep transiant dream. If he could, if it was possible, could he really have what he always dreamed of?

Looking up, failing to keep his tears back he ask, "W-will y-you *sniff* really b-be my friend?"

Ino laugh at his responce in a gentle tone, "Baka, I already said your my friend whether you like it or not."

Naruto cried without restraint, he couldn't help it. Even if it was a dream, he didn't want it to end. Here in front of him was his first friend who looked at him as a person, an equal. A person who would play, laugh, and see him and not call him a monster or look at him like a plague.

All the tears he had cried throughout his life felt cold and painful. But for the first time the ones he cried now felt warm and wet. He liked the strange feeling as the warmness spread through him. Ino placed a hand on the crying blond.

"Your a strange one, you know that. Dad says boys aren't suppose to cry but I think its good to cry when your sad and happy." Her gentle smile transmitted a kindness that was brand new to the boy and he accepted it in its entirety.

Sniffing Naruto shook his head, "Its not you. *Sniff* My name is Uzumaki Naruto."

Ino smile grew brighter as she replied, "Nice to meet you Naruto-kun"

As the duo sat their in what was a very touching moment, a tall man was standing just out of view. Watching from a distance was another platinum-blond with a long-ponytail and a proud smile on his face. "I'm proud of you Ino, I knew you could do it."

Inoichi was watching the whole series of events and he couldn't have been happier or prouder of his daughter. When he heard she was spotted in the run down district where Naruto's apartment was, he headed over to see how things went. He was not too please to find both blonds missing and a collapsed apartment in its place. Running in a panic, fearing that something terrible happened to the two, by chance he spotted them being pulled along by another blonde. This blonde was a girl he didn't recognize but looked a lot like Naruto.

Watching for a while he found their interactions amusing. The combination of his forceful Ino and the wildness of the loud girl surprised Inoichi. If they became the boys friends their personalities would definitely grind at times but the two would definitely have positive effect on Naruto. That was if his shocked expression was anything to go by. If something could shock the loud-mouthed blond that could only be a good sign of change.

He continued to watch in silence as the ostracized boy cried his heart out in joy. For the next few hours he watched the two play together. For Naruto it was the best time of his life. It turned out to Ino's surprise that he was interested in plants just as much as Ino. So much so that it was all they talked about for their first hour of chatting. Naruto would ask questions about certain plants and Ino would explain in detail to the boys enjoyment.

Chatting and laughing together they eventually played a game of hide and seek. To Ino's great annoyance, despite his orange and yellow appearance Naruto was a master at hiding and they ended up playing with a time limit so that they could switch seekers from time to time since she almost never found him when he hid. As the sun was starting to set, their fun came to an end when a blonde woman called out to Ino.

"Lady Ino just what do you think your doing." The average looking woman dressed in rather plain robes grabbed onto Ino's wrist. "You can't go around playing with this dem...boy. As a servant to your family I can't allow this. What would you do if your reputation gets ruined?" The lady glared at Naruto who regressed into his shell.

Ino struggled to twist out of the woman's grasp. "I don't care, Naruto-kun is my friend and we're having fun." She said trying desperately to resist and escape from the woman.

This only upset the woman even more. Finally tired of the girls resistance she yelled at the girl to settle down.

"There won't be any of that. As the next head of the Yamanaka clan I won't allow you to be seen with the demon!" When Ino heard this she was shocked, how could anyone call someone as fun as Naruto a demon? Inoichi was ready to jump in and smack the women when a hand stopped him. Turning around he saw a flash of white and red appear beside him. "Jiraiya-sama?" Inoichi said in surprise. When did he return he thought.

Jiraiya grinned as he held Inoichi back. "Now, now, don't be to hasty. The kid's got it covered." His grin growing more mischievous. Inoichi looked back in time to see a little Mikon in mid air on a collision course with the woman. With an astounding headbutt to the back, Mikon launched the women forward, forcing her to release her grasp on Ino. Ino looked stupidly at the sudden change of events.

As the women was sent crashing in to the bushes, Mikon stepped forward, perform her eccentric-Jiraiya imitation introduction. "Behold, you stand before the self-titled Toad Princess, master of surprises and timely entrances, the great Mikon-sama."

The women stood back up clearly pissed, a small vein pulsating. "You little brat, good girls do as they are told and don't attack adults." With each vowel her words dripped like acid.

Mikon just laughed, "Hehe, yeah and good adults don't call other people names." The air around Mikon became heavy as her happy-go-lucky attitude vanished, replaced with malice. "Anyone who hurts my friends or calls Naruto-kun a demon will answer to me. You got that O-bā-chan." She declared as her chakra flared. A cold malicious weight expanded over the park as Mikon's chakra radiated outward distorting the air around her. Her eyes glowing an eerie torquoise.

The woman stepped back in fear. "You damn brat when I find your parents, I'll be sure to inform them of how unruly a child you are and that you stood up for the demon brat." the woman shouted hoping to manipulate the situation to her favor.

Mikon was now thoroughly pissed. "Twice... twice you called Naruto a demon. Now its time for you punishment."She said with a sickeningly sweet voice. Forming handsigns she raising her hand above her head as she shouted, "Behold my ultimate killer jutsu, **Kuchiyose:** **Hyaku kaeru no kōgeki no Justu.**

J/N: (100 frog attacks Jutsu)

"GYYAAAA! Gross, gross, gross,gross" The women's eyes bugged out as she screamed at the sight before her. From the plume of white smoke an army of a hundred basketball sized Toads appeared surrounding the women. Even Ino was freaking out at the slimy sight in front of her as she clutched onto Naruto squeezing the air out of him. Mikon just smiled a sinister grin as she executed her finishing move.

"Alright boys, go get her!" With a firm point of her finger she commanded her legion to charge.

In unison the toads hopped onto the poor women. Swatting the frogs away the women jumping up screaming. Fleeing as fast as her legs could take her she ran out of the park as the army of toads hopping after her. Running away she left a grossed out Ino, a smiling Naruto, a perplexed Inoishi, and a laughing Jiraiya and Mikon.

"Serves that obā-chan right." She point to every stunned spectator standing in the park. With an intake of air she shouted load enough for all of the Konoha to hear. "Listen up you jerks. From this point forward anyone who looks down on and insults Naruto gets a face full of toads, so watch out, Dettabane!"

Little did anyone realize at the time how much of a serious threat this declaration was. Not the people of Konoha, Hiruzen, or the council. Not even Jiraiya, who was still laughing at the girls shenanigans. Stemming his enjoyment of the situations he stopped laughing and called out to Mikon. "As entertaining as that would be its a little late to be causing anymore trouble, gaki."

Mikon jump as she turned to Jiraiya, a cute pout on face, "Geez, you always interrupt my fun. I never interrupt you when your having fun." Jiraiya chuckled before he tempted to placate the wild girl, "Now, now. Don't be like that, I'm treating the two of you to ramen after all."

The girls ears perked up as a dazzling smile illuminating the park, "We're getting ramen, yatta!" As her spirit rose, Naruto's own spirit became crestfallen. Having been released from Ino's strangle hold he gazed at the situation with a brilliant smile. He had two friends one of which just declared she'd protect him from the insults he usually suffered. But upon seeing her leave with her father his smile vanished gradually.

Turning away from the painful scene he went to look at Ino only to realized that she had already made her way to her father. It seemed she noticed her father and went to greet him. Not wanting to watch them leave with the families he'd never have he began to walk away. Before he could leave however Ino shouted to Naruto, "Come by my house tomorrow we'll play again. Its a promise got it. If you don't I'll beat you and drag you there. That's a promise you hear!"

He had heard and seen this a thousand times. Ignoring it halfheartedly as he relapsed into memory. The backs of all the other kids leaving with their parents promising to play again, only to be reject upon reuniting after being told they couldn't play with him.

As the sun set each day he was reminded that no matter what happens or how much fun he had in the end he'd end up alone. His head slumped as he watched Mikon jump relentlessly as she proceeded to leave with the tall white haired old man and Ino with her father. As Mikon made her way to leave she was hoisted up by Jiraiya. Turning his head to see the boy a smile graced his face as he shouted out to Naruto. Words Naruto thought he'd never hear or would believe he would hear.

"Get the lead out kid, your coming to eat too."

Naruto was dumbfounded as he looked up.

Jiraiya smile grew a little more, "I did say I was treating the 'two' of you. Get movin kid or you'll be left behind." he shouted.

Naruto couldn't believe it. He was invited to eat ramen with his newest friend and their parent. Rushing up next to the man. Naruto looked up at the mans eyes. His deep gray eyes showed a similar mixture of kindness and sadness that the Hokage-jiji eye's showed when he stared at him. They where similar except for the difference that their was no pity in them, only understanding.

He wasn't sad at the boy circumstance but at the boys own... powerlessness? Naruto didn't know what specifically he was sad at but his eyes showed a small pride in the boy. The young Naruto didn't know what it was but he liked the feeling those eyes game him.

Wiping away the small tear in his eye Naruto smiled up at Jiraiya as he followed the old sanin out of the park. Mikon dangled her legs from Jiraiya's shoulder, kicking his arm with each swing as they made their way down the street. Naruto noticed the slight irritation on Jiraiya's face at this but made note that the Sannin seemed to be use to it. Jiraiya in turn noticed Naruto's observing gaze and smiled. "He's just like Minato. He has the same silent curiosity and observing nature as he did when Minato was young." Jiraiya thought to himself as they walked.

"So kid have you ever had Ichiraku ramen before?" Jiraiya asked. Naruto shook his head in response. He had tried to eat out before since almost all the stores sold bad or expired food that was inedible to him. However he received a similar treatment at restaurants. He would get kicked out without hesitation and glared at as if he were a plague to the establishment. So Naruto gave up on trying to eating out and limited his meals to non perishables like ramen cups.

"Well then your in for a treat," Jiraiya said as they turned the corner. Around the corner a shop with a large lantern and warm yellow glow lit up the street. Naruto could smell the sent of ramen broth wafting in the air. Behind the counter Naruto could see an old man in a white chefs outfit. "Welcome" the man greeted as Jiraiya walked under the flap.

"Thump!"

Naruto looked up to see Mikon flop off Jiraiya as she hit the ceiling with her forehead. The impact seemed to do little to stop her from jumping up as she rushing to the counter. "Come on Jiji! Ramen, ramen, ramen." she chanted as she eagerly waited for her precious ramen. Naruto and Jiraiya took their own seats and waited as well. After ordering the two kids all they could eat ramen, Jiraiya noticed Naruto shaking.

"Relax kid the folks here aren't like the rest of the village so just enjoy a the meal. Ichiraku ramen is famous you know. Its the best ramen you can ever have." Jiraiya said ruffling Naruto's hair. Naruto smiled up a Jiraiya shaking his head, "Its not that. What if it doesn't have taste?" Jiraiya wasn't expecting that. In hindsight however, it was only natural he thought. Naruto just came back from trying to die. In such a depressed state the kid wouldn't have much to live for. Food would loose its taste after a while and eventually have no taste at all.

Jiraiya patted Naruto on the shoulder.

"Relax, Food always tastes better with good company and besides I wasn't joking when I said Ichiraku ramen is the best you can get." Jiraiya reassured him, gesturing to the three bowls of fresh ramen in front of them.

As the smell wafted its way to Naruto's nose, for the first time in weeks he actually felt hungry. Looking back at Jiraiya and Mikon both who where enjoying their bowls he contemplated Jiraiya's words. Food always tastes better with good company. With a shaky hand he picked up his chopsticks. The room became silent to his ears as he looked down at the bowl before him.

He slurped his first bite of noodles and the delicacy warmed him instantly. The taste heavenly and for the first time in a long while he felt happy for once. It had taste, no, it was more then taste; The ramen before him was delicious. In seconds Naruto's bowl was empty and he wanted seconds.

Jiraiya heart smiled as he saw the boy scarf down the ramen. For the first time he saw Naruto smile a genuine full blown smile. Jiraiya gesture for for a refill which Teuchi gracefully presented before Naruto. "Here you go kid, on the house." Teuchi said placing another bowl in front of Naruto. Naruto felt like he was in heaven. After another five bowls and feeling fuller then he ever had, he fell asleep right there on the spot.

"Haha, kid really must have been tired." Teuchi said with a chuckle.

"After so many things happening today it's no surprise." Jiraiya said as he lifted Naruto onto his back. "Well better check out our new home, finish up Mikon were going home."

Mikon looked up confused. "Wait, so we're bringing Naruto-kun with us?" she asked after drinking the last bit of her ramen. "I mean that's awesome since I can have more fun with him, but aren't we just gonna leave Konoha within a few days?"

Never staying in one place had become the norm for Mikon. Between hunting down Orochimaru, tracking secret intelligence on the new organization Akatsuki, and training her unique condition in secret, Mikon was always on the move. She traveled around all the nations and ended up meeting tons of people. Some she liked, some she fought, some she down right disliked. She had made many associates during their travels.

However the one thing she never made was a real friend. The closest person she could call a friend up until this point was a girl from Kirigakure. She shook the dark memory out of her head and stared at Jiraiya. Because of her inability to control her power her first friend also ended up being her first victim. In the village she demanded that they stay so she could play with a group of kids. Jiraiya agreed reluctantly since he was unable to sway her desire and so they stayed in Kirigakure for a full three weeks. One day she lost control of her power which resulted in the group of kids including the girl tragic death. Immediately afterwards Mikon and Jiraiya left the village to prevent trouble following them. The tragic event made Mikon realize the seriousness of her situation. She resolved to master her power and to follow Jiraiya's orders whenever gave them.

Jiraiya patted Mikon on the head as he said, "For now we're gonna stay in Konoha, and thanks to a certain someone we're gonna be taking care of Naruto too."

"Really? Who?" Mikon asked seriously causing her to receive a fist to the top of her head courtesy of Jiraiya. With a yelp from Mikon, Jiraiya asked inquisitively, "And exactly who was it that destroyed Naruto's house with her toad summon?" With a sheepish grin, Mikon laughed as the two proceeded to head out.

"Hey don't walk out without paying." Teuchi said before they could leave.

Jiraiya turned around to an annoyed Teuchi holding out the bill. Jiraiya laughed his own sheepish laugh at the glaring oversight he nearly forgot. "Sorry, sorry. Let me take that..." he said as he took the bill only to have his jaw drop. He looked from the check to the counter which Mikon had been sitting. To his horror three towers of empty bowls covered the counter. He swore this girl would be the death of his wallet. Where did she even pack all that ramen in the first place?

After paying Jiraiya walked off in tears with a sleeping Naruto and smiling Mikon.

"So where are we going to be staying at?" Mikon asked.

She was happy and her belly was full. Finding out they would be staying in Konoha for a long time just made her day even better. Finally she could play and make some real friends her age. Even more so she had already met two new kids her age and became friends with their first evening. At this realization her smile vanished. They would be sticking around Konoha for a long time with kids her age?With Naruto and Ino... was it really safe to do that? Wouldn't her power hurt someone again like before? Her mind delved into the depths of fear as her concerns floated around the possibility of hurting Naruto-kun or Ino-chan.

"You don't need to worry so much. We wouldn't be sticking around if it wasn't safe enough. Keep up your training and practice gaki and everything will be fine." Jiraiya reassured her, having read her expression.

"So long as you don't abandon your training and you focus on helping your new friends, you'll be fine. We've been training you rigorously for a year now. Ever since you were three, after that incident, we've been training you so it won't happen again. Your finally in control and you'll only become more in control as you grow. Now your mission is to keep up your training and to have fun with other kids your age." Jiraiya concluded trying to raise Mikon's confidence.

Mikon nodded her head before speaking. "Okay. It's just I'm worried I might mess up." Jiraiya patted her head before speaking.

"We all make mistakes as kids, its the privileges of being a kid. If you mess up the adults will help and your friends will be there for you. Even I the great toad sage of Mount Myoboku made mistakes. But its the mistakes we make as adults, that brings the most harm. So don't worry about the mistakes you make now. Your mistakes will only make you stronger as you confront them."

"hehe, Thanks Jiji. Sooooo... where exactly our we going to be staying?" Mikon asked. They had walked a fair distance away from the major districts. Jiraiya point off into the distance, straight into the forest. Jumping on top of Jiraiya's head she saw a small house far off in the distance that was barely perceivable. Without even realizing it, they had traveled to the edge of the village with only the large forest between them and the outer wall.

After about a thirty minute walk they arrived at the barely visible house. It was a traditional style house that would make any Hyuuga proud. It had a gray moss covered clay roof and a wood elevated foundation. Vines and trees encroached and wrapped around the building, camouflaging it with the surrounding forest.

Walking into the complex revealed it to be rather large, even big enough to have a second floor, kitchen and three rooms to sleep in. There wasn't much in the form of furniture and instead of a tatami mat floor, which the exterior suggested was the interior, had a floor of a nice reddish wood. Despite the abandoned condition it was left in, the house was well constructed and even the pale-white walls and mahogany floors retained their color and furnish. A small kitchen existed in the back of the house and was withing view of the entrance. The design appeared to be well made for combating intruders as no single part of the house couldn't see the main entrance. Some form of cover was present in every room to allow for protection against intruders. The banister of the second floor, the counter in the kitchen, and the protruding wall to each side room being the most visible examples.

Mikon was ecstatic, jumping instantly into the wide open house. She had never had a house this big before despite its relatively small size. She had after all grown up on the road and in inns. Almost landing inside Jiraiya caught her in mid flight.

"Shoes first, bath second, then you can go crazy" Jiraiya said not even looking at Mikon, a dead pan expression etched on his face.

Dangling from her collar Mikon retorted, "What? You're not going to tell me to go to bed?" Taking off her shoes as she was told, Jiraiya made his way inside.

"Bakamono!" Jiraiya shouted which was followed by a heavy sigh, "You still haven't done your training today. Besides..." He turned to give a sly grin at Mikon, "You wouldn't go to bed even if I told you to."

Jiraiya watched as Mikon energetically jumped all over the house looking for the bathroom to wash up. Making his way to one of the side rooms he summoned a sleeping bag and placed Naruto in it. He watched the boy for a second as the sound of running water flooded the room next door. He never understood why Minato installed a bathtub in his shelter when he had a hot spring just out back behind it the safe house.

Acknowledging that Mikon was taking her bath, he focused his thoughts on Naruto. "Finally, after four years I can make good on my promise properly." He said to himself. Jiraiya's words were soft, hovering in the air as he gazed at the sleeping boy. As he brushed away a strand of the boys unruly hair Naruto nestle up against Jiraiya's hand, a small tear falling down his cheek. Jiraiya's heart ached as he wiped away the tear before speaking, "Minato, I'm not suited to raising a child, but I'll make sure he's well looked after." An elongated silence drifted over the room as Jiraiya resolved to make up for his four year absent from Naruto's life, knowing he'd have to leave again eventually.

Getting up and leaving Naruto to sleep he made his way over to the open hall entrance to work on his book. As he sat down to work he saw Mikon diligently meditating as an aura of magenta colored chakra swirled around her creating a thin film over her body. As Jiraiya picked up his pen he began work on his novel into the late hours of the night.

 **-Early the next morning-**

Naruto woke up feeling incredibly warm and comfortable but also a bit out of place. As he tried to get up he noticed a weight on his chest making it a bit difficult to breath when he moved. Looking down he saw Mikon sleeping on top of him spread out in a most unfeminine manner. Slipping out of the sleeping bag and Mikon's grasp he looked around the empty room. It wasn't the first time he woke up somewhere besides his room however it was the first time he woke up in a warm welcoming environment.

Walking out of the room he saw Jiraiya snoring away on the floor, his papers stacked up in the corner with his head on the floor. His posture made it look like he fell asleep sitting up and then fell over.

The room was well lit despite the lack of windows. It had a warm comfortably glow to it and Naruto felt comfortable in it. Naruto wondered how he got here making his way through the small house. Eventually he sat down and stared at Jiraiya. Did he bring him home with him and let him sleep here? Naruto wondered, he did wake up in a sleeping back instead of the sewers so it was possible.

He wasn't sure what to do but he felt safe and comfortable around Jiraiya. It was a feeling he never felt before but he liked it. While sitting there he waited in thought until Jiraiya started to stir. Seeing the man waking up Naruto stood up not sure if he should stay or run.

"Morning Naruto. How did you sleep?" Jiraiya questioned with a massive yawn that could shake the house.

Naruto remained silent, not sure what to make of what was going on. First he was depressed and in the pits of despair. Suddenly he had two friends who came out of nowhere, had a great meal at what could be said to be his first restaurant, and was taken to this man's home so he could sleep. Waking up to all of this and such a warm environment was foreign and strange to Naurto. So Naruto picked the best thing he could think of and decided to remain silent.

Jiraiya picking up on this as he got up and brushed himself. Letting a sigh leaving his lips made his way to the door.

"Come on kid, lets take a bath first before we start our day. There's a nice private hot spring outback that we can chat it up in, while we get cleaned up. I'm sure you got a few things you'd like to ask me about your parents." Jiraiya baited.

Naruto's attention spiked at that single word, parents.

Following after Jiraiya cautiously as they made their way outside, he wondered if he really knew anything about his parents. He had imagined what his parents might have been like and who they could have been, but he always wondered one thing the most. One question always lingered at the back of his mind; Why was he abandoned? In general Naruto wanted to know anything he could about his parents. It just happened this question was the one he wanted answered most.

Having made their way to the back of the house, Naruto gazed at the natural hot spring that was hidden in the forest. The bushes and trees made a natural wall that prevented anyone from seeing in and added to the natural feel of the atmosphere of the hot spring.

Sinking into the hot spring Naruto waited a moment as Jiraiya relaxed in its warm waters before speaking.

"Do you really know my parents?" Naruto asked wanting to believe that he really did know. Jiraiya smiled reminiscently as he spoke, "Yeah kid, I knew your parents well."

His tone shifted seriously making Naruto stiffen. "Now before you go asking questions I need to tell you something first and if you can't accept it, I won't tell you anything got it?"

Jiraiya's condition threw Naruto of guard, but wanting to know anything he could he nodded his head in agreement.

"Good. First off there are circumstances about your parents which makes talking about them difficult. Your too young to know everything but I will answer what I can. Who they were and why I can't answer are two things I can't answer. Even if you ask I won't say anything."

Naruto was surprised. Why was there so much secrecy around his parents. He couldn't even ask who they were? It was the first question he intended to ask looking down, clearly upset. His eyes perked up when a thought crossed his mind.

"Then why did they abandon me, was I unwanted?" Naruto asked a slight shiver of fear ran down his spine. He instantly regretted asking as the thought of an answer suddenly became terrifying. Naruto realized that the answer might hurt more then not know, but was too late in realizing it.

Jiraiya shook his head, "No kid, your parents never abandoned you. They loved you more then anything and looked forward to you being born. Everyday, since they learned you were coming into their life, they thought of nothing but living together as a happy family. You meant everything to them. If anyone can be guilty of abandoning you, its me."

Naruto stared confused unsure what to make of the last statement. What did he mean 'he' abandoned him?

"Your parents made me your godfather Naruto, on the off chance something happened to them. Because of this role your parents gave me however, I've been away from you for four years now. Now before you go blaming me, which I wouldn't blame you for doing, know that I never wanted to leave you. But I made a promise to your parents and that promise branched off into two on the day of your birth. I swore to protect their child, you, and to do that I had to leave for four years." Jiraiya continued.

Naruto wasn't sure what to make of all of this. This revelation was too much for a fresh four year old to handle or make sense of. But one thing did stick out. "So your like my dad then?" Naruto asked slightly confused, hope ringing in each syllable as he spoke it.

Jiraiya laughed heartily, "Not so much dad as uncle, but yeah I'm essentially your adoptive father. If your okay with..." His sincerity was cut short as Naruto jumped him in a tight embrace. Tears were running down Naruto's face.

Jiraiya returned his hug with one arm while ruffling the kids hair. "I promise, I'll be around for you from now on. I'm may be incompetent as a parent and never around as much as I should be, but I'll always be with you Naruto. Just like your parents will always be with you."

Naruto's tears flooded out as his cries echoed throughout the early morning. After Naruto finally calmed down he felt like everything was brighter. It was as if the colors in the world became more vibrant, less diluted. His body felt as light as a feather. Looking back his body felt like it had been made of lead or something. He never noticed it before. Relaxing in the springs Naruto turned to Jiraiya. "So what happens now?" Naruto asked.

Jiraiya stared up at the sky, "Well for today I'm gonna go get some furniture for this place. As for you, you already got plans for today." Naruto pouted in response to this statement. He was starting to get tired of constantly feeling confused.

"In case you forgot, that cute girl told you to meet her at her house today." Jiraiya teased with a perverted grin, " And a real man doesn't leave a lady waiting so lets get dressed and get something to eat."

Rising up from the bath they returned inside and had a simple egg breakfast with milk and toast. It wasn't the most elegant or well made breakfast with the toast being half burnt and the eggs overdone, but to Naruto it tasted fantastic. Having breakfast with another person really was great. As they headed out together, Jiraiya told Naruto he'd pick him up at sundown and made his way to the market in a puff of smoke.

Naruto wasn't sure how to respond until a realization hit him. He didn't know where Ino lived. Making his way through the forest he figured he'd make his way to the park where they separated in hopes of finding a clue as to where she lived.

Making his way down the street he encounter the usual glares that people gave him. Even this early in the morning when the sun was barely up he was glared at. Naruto was surprised at how little the glares affected him. Usually it hurt how the looked at him like an animal or a monster. Everything was beginning to feel like it would be alright from now on. Although feeling better didn't help the fact he had no idea where he was going.

Running down the path he turned the corner to the park only to face plant himself into a rather large man. Looking up Naruto saw a stern faced man with curvy purple tattoos on his cheeks with a massive mane of red hair. Oddly enough Naruto couldn't make out his eyes as they seemed to be squinting.

Getting up, Naruto brushed himself off before turning back to look up to the man. "Sorry I wasn't looking where I was going." Naruto apologized.

The large man smiled, "That's quite alright, so long as your not hurt then everything is okay."

"Everything would be okay if I knew where I was going." Naruto retorted under his breath though not softly enough as the man seemed to have heard him.

"Oh, and where are you trying to go?" Naruto looked at the man before thinking why not. Even if he lied he'd still be just as lost as before.

"I'm trying to find the nice flower girl I played with yesterday, She told me to come see her, but I don't know where she lives." Naruto answered with a smile.

"Ho? And does the flower girl have a name?" The man requested to which Naruto answered, "Ino Yamanaka."

The mans face looked shocked then shifted to what Naruto thought was aggressiveness but was surprised to see him point. "If you go down the street and make a right, go straight a ways down you'll come across a shop with lots of flowers that you can't miss. You'll find your friend there." He answered with a kind tone.

Naruto was surprised at the genuine answer he received and smiled, "Thanks mister" he replied waving his hand as he ran down the street.

"Not at all," The man replied as he turned to the boy hiding behind his leg, "Come along Choji, we still have to go shopping for your mother."

As Naruto made his way down the street he had no trouble finding the shop with numerous flowers. Inside was an assortment of flowers and plants making a color pallet like nothing he had seen before. Naruto was hoping to see Ino but instead saw a tall lady with light brown hair with amber colored eyes tending to the flowers. Hiding behind a massive flower pot, Naruto figured he'd stay out of sight to avoid trouble until he saw Ino.

"Ino can you come her for a moment." The women called out to Naruto's surprise. Lucky he thought in his head. When nothing happened the women called out again. "Ino, I know you can hear me. Come down for a moment young lady." Her voice was slightly louder and more stern. Naruto could hear the shuffling of what he assumed was bed sheets, followed by the sluggish patter of footsteps from above.

Naruto couldn't help but blush a bit at the sight that appeared in the stairway of the shop. A half asleep Ino was dressed in a vibrant yellow kimono robe with orange butterflies embroidered at the edges. It dangled dangerously off her left shoulder as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "What is it mom?" She questioned drowsily as she let her arm fall to her side along with her head.

"Geez, Ino go clean yourself up. You have a visitor" her mother informed her.

Naruto let out a yelp at having been spotted which caught Ino's attention. Still drowsy she looked over to the pot and spotted the blond peeking out from behind the large pot unsure if he should come out or not.

At the sight of Naruto, Ino broke into a smile and ran back upstairs. It didn't take long for her to return fully dressed in a yellow sleeveless shirt and navy shorts. She rushed over to Naruto and pulled him out from behind the pot before turning to her mom. "We'll be playing in the park" she shouted energetically as she pulled Naruto with her out of the shop.

"Be sure to be back in time for lunch dear." Ino's mother replied, though Naruto noticed Ino was oblivious to the instruction her mom gave her.

Playing in the park with Ino was the most fun Naruto had ever had. Normally when I met someone their folks made them shun him. He wasn't sure if they knew about him or actually defied the norm, but Naruto was happy Ino's mom didn't forbid her from playing with him.

Making their way down the street to the park Ino suddenly stopped. Naruto was taken aback as to why she stopped until he noticed she staring at a couple of gossiping women.

"Don't look, its that boy again."

"Why doesn't Lord Third just get rid of that pest already"

"It shouldn't even be allowed to life here, the damn monster."

"Careful, you aren't allowed to say that out loud."

Naruto turned his head down and looked away, getting ready to run away. He didn't want Ino to hear them talking about him like that. Fear of losing his friend motivated his feet forward but was stopped by the strange repetitive clinking sound. It sounded like a theater drum.

The noise became loader and louder until finally after looking up Naruto saw the source. On top of the roof of the shop in front of him was Mikon standing there with a drum in hand.

"Insults have been made and I have arrived. Fear me for I am the Toad Priestess, the forever orange bringer of judgment and pranks, I the great Mikon shall bring swift justice on you all" she shouted.

Jumping off the roof she was blocked out by the sun as everyone present stared in amazement. As Naruto watched her decent he wondered what exactly she was going to do. The last time she did a similar introduction she destroyed his house so he decided to step back a bit.

The crowd watched the scene as seconds felt like minutes as she slowly... slowly descended to the ground. That was when Naruto realized descending was not the right word, falling was more accurate.

BOOOM!

In the most inelegant fashion, Mikon laid there spread out like a kid making a snow angel in snow upon impacting with the ground. The group of gossiping women quickly rushed in concern for the child. Naruto watched as Mikon lifted herself up and could have sworn he heard something about "fixing the landing". It was at this point she had made eye contact with the women surrounding her.

Faster then anyone could follow she raised her hands a from her over sized sleeves shoved large frogs into the women's shirts.

"EEEEEK!"

Ear splitting screams was all anyone heard as the women tried desperately to get rid of the slimy amphibians.

Rushing over the Naruto and Ino, Mikon grabbed their hands. "Come on, lets get going before we get in trouble." Mikon said.

It didn't take much convincing as the two agreed and all three went into a full blown dash down the street. After making their way past the park and into a forest area they stopped to catch their breath, confident they escaped danger. Panting vigorously Naruto looked up to see that Mikon and Ino where both staring at each other too.

Breaking out into laughter, the three made their way into the woods which Naruto soon recognized as the same forest that Jiraiya's house was in. How did the end up here he wondered. Pushing that thought aside he turned to Mikon

"That was so cool, where did you get those frogs from?" Naruto asked earning him a stern glare from Mikon. "They're not frogs, they're toads. And I summoned them." She retorted with a hint of pride at the mention of her summoning them.

"Wait you mean like the jutsu? You have to be a ninja to do that!" Ino interjected not believing that a girl her age could use ninjutsu.

"Hehehe... That's right, I can use the Kuchiyose no Jutsu to summon toads." Mikon replied proudly. Naruto was excited. Because most people he knew were ninja he had a desire to be one too. But not just any shinobi, he wanted to be the strongest shinobi. "Can you also do the Shurikenjutsu?" Naruto asked. He had tried practicing with rocks but that could only get him so far and he wanted to see the 'real' thing.

Mikon grinned as she pulled out a kunai and point at one of the trees. "Of course I can. Watch, I'm gonna nail that branch over there." She boasted taking a throwing stance. Ino was skeptical but watched as she also was interested. Bringing her arm down Mikon threw the kunai though it didn't come close to the tree.

Instead Mikon paused for a minute as she and Ino looked at the tree. Ino laughed as she made fun of Mikon, "Nice throw. What where you aiming at, the kunai disappeared." Ino jeered.

Mikon pouted as she pulled out another kunai. "Just watch I'll show you." she said taking another winding throw just for the kunai to disappear again. Where did the kunai go, Mikon wondered.

Ino just snickered at the second failed attempt, though also wondered where the kunai went.

"Maybe you shouldn't be trying the Shurikenjustu anymore..." Naruto interjected as the two turned to stare at his worried gaze. They were surprised at Naruto's interruption since he was the one who asked to see her Shurikenjustu.

"Why's that?" Mikon asked innocently too which Naruto pointed at her feet. Both each had one of the missing kunai sticking out of them.

A moment of silence washed over them as the sudden realization hit. Mikon began shouting in pain as both Ino and Mikon panicked. After settling them down Naruto helped remove the two kunai only to see the wounds begin to heal. He had always though he was the only one who healed that quickly. Before they could even begin to wrap the wounds up the bleeding had long since stopped much to their relief.

Naruto was surprised. He understood that he healed up fast but not even he healed as quickly as she did. Mikon smiled as a thought hit her. "Oh yeah. I forgot I heal up pretty quickly. Don't worry I'm fine." she said as she reassured everyone present.

Naruto smiled in relief, "Summoning and healing jutsu that's so awesome."

Ino snickered, "Yeah it is, even if she can't throw a kunai straight."

Mikon turned he head and pouted as she dropped to the ground. "So what, so long as I put guts into my training I'll get it eventually. Not like you can do any better." she retorted sticking her tongue at Ino.

"Oh yeah watch this." Ino said picking up one of the kunai and threw it at the tree. The kunai went flying through the air and struck the root of the tree next to it.

"See told you I can hit it." Ino mockingly replied. Mikon laughed mockingly as well. "Yeah, you hit the wrong tree and then said you nailed it, amazing." She retorted mockingly back.

Naruto noticing Ino reading to charge Mikon. He grabbed both their hands which made them forget their arguing in surprise. "In that case come with me, I'll show you my secret training ground." Naruto said with a smile as he rushed off to show them where he practiced.

Mikon and Ino looked at each other then followed after him. Arriving at a open clearing withing the forest several poorly made targets dangled from the branches of trees. One even had an old futon wrapped around it.

Ino was amazed at how lousy it looked and grimaced a bit. Everything was handmade or scavenged. Mikon was more amazed that Naruto made it. The ground had plenty of grass which meant the area wasn't used by anyone else. But despite the poor condition of the 'equipment' she could tell it had been used vigorously.

"This is perfect, now we have a place we can practice throwing kunai and shuriken." Mikon joyously proclaimed.

"Now that I think about it where did you get those kunai?" Naruto asked. It was unusual for adults let alone kids to be able to get ninja tools if they weren't ninja so how did Mikon get hers. It was one thing for Naruto who found his own broken and rusted kunai a while back but hers looked brand new and in mint condition.

"Hehe, I took them from Ero-jiji while he wasn't looking." Mikon answered.

With that, Naruto and Ino face planted. She stole from a ninja she traveled with was unbelievable. The two didn't know what to say to that as their jaws just hang loosely. What kind of Ninja lets his ninja tools get stolen but a little kid.

 **-Elsewhere in a Futon shop-**

"Achoo! Geez, a pretty girl must be talking about me somewhere" Jirayai thought to himself with a perverted grin. Turning his attention back to the sales clerk. "Oh, I'll also take this one here too." he said pointing to another futon.

 **-Back with Naruto, Ino, Mikon-**

"That's just pathetic. What shinobi lets a kid steal from them, that's just pathetic." Ino said. She couldn't believe such a shinobi existed. Naruto agreed nodding his head. Shinobi where cool protectors of the village that could use awesome jutsu. Any shinobi that let a kid get one over him just wasn't a shinobi.

"Don't say that about Ero-jiji!" Mikon shouted her chakra flared violently scorching the ground around her. In a panic she jumped back and tried to calm herself before she lost control. Naruto and Ino looked at the ground where she stood. The grass that had been there was burnt. It was like grey ash made to look like grass. Naruto was amazed, she did that with her own chakra and they could see it? Naruto looked up at Mikon who was still was finally coming down from her panic.

"I'm sorry. Its just Ero-jiji is a really amazing ninja and taught me how to control my chakra... so don't talk bad about him." Mikon was on the verge of tears but held them back as she remembered everything Jiraiya did for her.

Ino looked down in shame. She didn't mean to upset... well didn't mean to make her angry. "I'm sorry too, I take back what I said." Ino apologized and went to hug Mikon who returned it. Naruto walked over and patted her on the back. "Don't worry about it, it just means your more awesome to have pulled one over on him." he said with a sheepish grin.

"By the way, whats with your chakra? Its awesome! How did it do that?" Naruto asked pointing to the ash burnt grass. Mikon smiled halfheartedly, "Its my chakra not me. For some reason I have more chakra then most ninja and its more compressed too at least that's what Jiji said. Jiji said that if you compare it to a liquid, while most people would have water like chakra, mine is more like lava in its um... conzitstency? I don't really get it, but if I don't control it then it flows out naturally and it can hurt and even burn people around me. That's why I have to be careful." Mikon explained.

Mikon stared at the ground remembering the painful memory of her first friends. Remembering something else her frown turned into her usual smile. "But now I train so I don't hurt anyone so I can make friends one day."

Naruto grabbed Mikon's hand and dragged her to Ino. Grabbing Ino's hand as well he smiled. "We're already friends so lets train together to protect each other."

His over the top grin and sheepish smile glowed upon his face. Mikon looked at Ino who breaking out of her stupor also smiled adding to Naruto's statement. "That's right, we're already friends so don't talk like you not apart of this either."

Mikon smiled revealing her own giant grin, "Well if we're going to practice together we're going to need more then just two kunai, that and if we want less holes in my feet" Mikon's grin threw Ino off as throwing two kunai into ones feet was quite as serious matter in her mind and not something to joke about.

Naruto nodded in agreement. Even if they took turns they'd need more then two for any real practice. Ino agreed as well, "It's also dangerous to use real kunai instead of practice ones, besides we should worry about training after we get into the academy."

Mikon smirked "Yeah your right, you wouldn't be able to keep up with my skills even if we practiced together."

"What was that!? I could out throw you any day of the week!" Ino shouted raising her fists in anger. Naruto grabbed a hold of Ino only to get elbowed in the cheek.

"It doesn't matter if we can't practice or get someone to teach us properly." Naruto interjected. He had tried watching and reading before but was either yelled at by the teachers for his spying or kicked out of the library for no reason. Regardless both methods without a teacher meant little or no proper improvement of his throwing skills.

Once Ino settled down, the three pondered on the dilemma before Ino asked, "What about just asking your dad?"

Mikon looked up confused, "Ero-jiji? No way, even if I asked he barely trains me in anything. Any training he gives is the smallest amount. The only reason he taught me the Kuchiyose no Jutsu was because I couldn't do any of the usual chakra training methods."

Disheartened at their predicament the three continued thinking of how to solve their lack of a teacher. "Wait maybe was can get him to watch us at least." Mikon shouted. Naruto and Ino looked at each other then back at Mikon eager to hear her idea. After whispering her plan into their ears the three set off to Mikon's and Jiraiya's house. Most of it revolved around something about being her friends an not interrupting him. Naruto and Ino didn't understand most of the plan but considered the idea worth trying since Mikon thought it would work.

Making their way to the house they found Jiraiya sitting at a large low-leg desk in the middle of the entrance room.

"Yo, nice timing you two, I just finished setting up the furniture." He said spotting the group. As his eyes landed on Ino his grin turned into a smile. "You brought a guest too..."

Standing up in his red trimmed white kimono he moved into the kitchen. "So what can I offer our first guest?" he asked.

Walking behind the counter, he pulled out a pot and some small sake cups to make what Naruto assumed was tea.

"Actually there's something we'd like to ask of you." Mikon's said seriously.

Jiraiya froze for a second turning to look at her directly. His gut had an idea as to what her "something" was. With a sigh he placed the pot on the stove to let the water boil.

"Sit down and wait at the table, we'll talk after I've made us something to drink." he said softly.

Mikon sat down without arguing and remained perfectly still as she was told. Naruto and Ino also did the same. Until the tea was ready they sat there in silence. Naruto looked over at Mikon surprised that the energetic girl could sit still for so long. She hadn't moved an inch from the spot where she sat down.

Naruto thought she could have been a really realistic statue if he hadn't watched her sit down.

Placing the tea set down on the table, Jiraiya pored himself a cup and took a quick sip before looking at the three kids. "So? What is it you want to ask me." His tone caused the blondes to stiffen slightly. Depending on how they asked their request would determining his answer.

Mikon regaining her confidence spoke first. "W-we'd like you to help or supervise our shinobi practice." She clasped her cheeks having bit her tongue but focused her eyes on Jiraiya.

Jiraiya sighed, "I thought as much. Mikon I told you before that you'd get your training properly when you enter the academy. And while I could train you and Naruto I'd need the girl's family's permission to train her." Pausing to take a drink he raised his hand to prevent them from talking.

Putting his cup down he looked at the three of them before stopping on Mikon. A slight pause turned into a long wait before he spoke again. "The last time you asked this it was out of desperation for more power because you felt powerless. Why are you asking this again now?"

Mikon straightened herself before answering. "Because I want to become stronger for... no, with my friends..." she answered causing Jiraiya to choke on his tea. Not even a full day had passed and she had made friends, huh. He had figured that she would be too traumatized to commit so wholeheartedly to them. But more importantly she want to become stronger with them. "If that was the case then..." He thought turning to look at Ino, "What about you?"

"I just don't want to lose to the crazy girl and I want to spend as much time with my Naruto as I can." Ino said confidently. She honestly didn't care about training or being a konoichi, but she knew that she wanted to look after Naruto. For some reason the sight of the painful expression on his face was deeply engraved into her. She didn't understand why it resonated but she would stop at nothing to find the answer as to why and prevent it from appearing.

Jiraiya said nothing as he turned to Naruto, "And why do you want to become a shinobi?"

Naruto face turned sad for a moment before a giant grin etched across his face. "I want to become the strongest ninja so people will start respecting and acknowledging me."

Jiraiya paused to think. Mikon now had friends again and this time she would be staying in the village for a long time. He would have to make sure her training went well less they have to leave again for the village's sake should something go wrong. The girl Jiraiya recognized as Inoichi's daughter, Ino, seemed to have begun to have a rivalry with Mikon. A sense of nostalgia washed over him as he remembered his own rivalry. Then his thoughts moved to that of Naruto. "So he wants to become Hokage without even knowing what it is..." he thought in his head.

Jiraiya intended to train Naruto eventually, but it was too soon at the moment. Having just come out of his depression he was too emotionally unstable to train. Then again it would also be smarter to train him earlier rather than later.

"I don't mind looking over your practicing but I have too many things to do on my end." Jiraiya said making an excuse. He would teach them eventually but he decided to wait till talked it over with the Hokage or they entered the academy first. Plus he wasn't lying as he was busy adapting to his new life style. It would take some time getting used to not moving around constantly and then there was his writing. Glancing at his manuscript he knew teaching would take away from his research time.

"If you train us I promise not to pull any pranks of any kind while your doing your research." Mikon shouted aloud suddenly. Jiraiya froze in place.

"Jackpot!" Mikon thought in her head.

Jiraiya thought for a second, sure he'd lose a lot of free time but then again, not having the self proclaimed prank master interrupt or break his cover while peep...er, doing research would be a major boon.

"If you keep that promise I guess I can spend some time watching you train and giving you pointers." Jiraiya said aloud not making eye contact.

Naruto, Ino, and Mikon jumped in celebration at Mikon's successes. They didn't realize at the time that bribing him with his "research" was the best bargaining chip they could have played, though Mikon would learn of why later.

"Well, I still have to talk with Inoichi about training his daughter, though it shouldn't be a problem." Jiraiya thought.

As he looked at the kids celebrate he couldn't help but smile. "Well, Naruto is being place in the academy early so its not like they would have had to wait long and this way I won't be interrupted when I do my research." He snickered at the thought of Mikon keeping her word when a new idea suddenly hit him.

"Alright settle down you three. I'll train under three conditions. First, Mikon has to keep her promise. Second, I'll only teach you three one thing until you enter the Academy. And third, if at any point any one of you give up I'll stop training that individual, no arguments. If you can't uphold these three conditions I'll just supervise and maybe give out points... occasionally." Jiraiya listed.

Seeing the excited nods from Naruto and Mikon and the confident nod from Ino he continued. "Excellent, we'll start your training tomorrow."

"Eeeeh?" Mikon and Naruto shouted in unison. Jiraiya rolled his eyes before he cut down what he knew would be a loud retaliation from the two, "I very well can't have you train with actual kunai. For starters if you did, I know Mikon would be the first skewer herself."

"Hehe, busted." Ino whispered jokingly.

"Oi." Mikon shouted.

Jiraiya ignored her as he continued making his way to the door.

"First I need to get you three some proper training gear." Jiraiya continued. Just as he opened the door he stopped to think.

"What do you kids want to learn anyway?" he asked.

"Shurikenjustu" Mikon shouted with zero hesitation.

"I want to learn Shurikenjutsu also" Ino said with a competitive look in her eye as she stared at Mikon.

Jiraiya laughed as sparks flew between the two blondes before turning to Naruto who's face looked like he had just eaten a very sour plum.

"Well kid?" Jiraiya prodded. "What is it you want to learn?"

"I want to learn shurikenjustu too... but..." Naruto answered unsure if he was allowed to ask what was on his mind. A small silence reined over the room before he made up his mind. "But I want to learn something that my parents could do."

Jiraiya was clearly surprised at this. He was expecting something childish or flashy but it made sense. What kid didn't want to know more about their parents and feel close to them if orphaned. A cunning smile crossed Jiraiya's face as he looked at the boy.

"I got just the thing. It's gonna be a hundred times more boring then the shurikenjustu and it'll be a thousand times harder to learn too." Jiraiya confirmed remembering all of Kushina and Minato's lessons in fūinjutsu.

. "Think you're up for it?" Jiraiya asked.

Naruto was ecstatic at the thought. A silent joy sweeping over him. He could actually learn something about his parents, a skill even that they could do.

"Hai!" he shouted in excitement.

"Alright, come back here tomorrow and we'll have your first day of official shinobi training." He said looking at Ino.

"And as for you two, clean and wash down this place so we don't have to think about it tomorrow while I go purchase what we need." He said. Confirming the nod from Naruto and a salute from Mikon, he made his way out the door followed by Ino.

 **-Later that night-**

Atop a tree just outside of the Konoha Hot Springs a perverted giggle could be heard as an old man looked through a handheld telescope. While indulging in his peek... research a platinum blond man appeared behind Jiraiya.

"So you finally arrived." Jiraiya said not looking away from his prize. Inoichi just shook his head. "Your not planning on teaching your bad habits to my precious daughter are you?" Inoichi asked with a cold hint in his voice.

"Please you really think I'm going to go out of my way to teach some underage brats the wonders of the women?" Jiraiya turned around giving a firm stare at Inoichi. "Your free to say I can't teach her. That's fine by me, but you do realize how important the bond those three share is and what it could become with proper guidance." Jiraiya continued.

Inoichi nodded, He already understood how important their bond was to them. He also knew that there was something... strange about Mikon. After yesterday's incident at the park where she released her chakra, Inoichi had begun to worry as to what her power was exactly. There was something dangerous about her existence, her power. If she was similar to Naruto then Ino's presence was important to them both. His daughter would be vital to Naruto's mentality and to whatever burden Mikon carried.

"Jiraiya-sama, please take good care of those children" Inoichi said. Jiraiya looked at Inoichi inquisitively. He recognized the look of sadness and despair on his face. For a second Jiraiya thought of Naruto for a very brief moment. "Count on it" Jiraiya said with a seriousness concluded their discussion.

After Inoichi left Jiraiya placed his hand on a large box next to him. "Tomorrow is gonna be a long day. Might as well enjoy the view while I can, hehehe."

And thus begins Naruto's journey as a ninja. I'd like to be able to upload a Chapter each month. Once I get into the flow of it I'll upload a Chapter at the end of each month. And yes this story is kind of a slowburn so once again bare with it for now. Not much to say but enjoy the early release.

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 **Chapter End**

Note: I plan on releasing one chapter at the end of each month. However since I'm working on improving my writing with a little too much gusto I kinda ended up finishing this one early so enjoy the early release. I also decided to add Jutsu notes (J/N) for those who prefer the English names. These are only for Jutsu not technical stuff by the way. ex: fūinjutsu

White out!

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 **SHOUTOUT::** Thank you Thareakzero and Alejou (plus unknown guest) for being the first three to Review my Fanfiction: Thanks a lot you three, it means a lot +best


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER:: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters associated with it... that is all.**

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 **Chapter 3 :: First steps of a Ninja**

The next morning Naruto woke up groggily and in pain. Looking down he noticed that Mikon had once again made her way into his room and was laying on top of him. "This is gonna become annoying real fast.." He thought. Making his way carefully out of his futon he slowly adjusted the girl so as not to wake her. Letting her lie on his futon he noticed her peaceful face shift in slumber.

He couldn't quite understand the girl laying before him. How could she be so outgoing and happy around him? The girl was nothing like the other girls he knew. Most just liked flowers or gossiping and would hit him just for approaching them. Yet this girl played around with toads and associated with him. Although she did almost choke him while pulling him through the streets she didn't have any ill will towards him. Recalling the army of toads she summoned in his defense Naruto let a smile embrace his face as he made his way to the hot-spring bath. That had been the first time someone stood up for him.

Slipping into the hot water he blew bubbles as he relaxed. Everything in his life felt brighter and more brilliant now. And it was only getting brighter with each passing day. Thoughts of ending his life were the furthest from his mind as he submerged himself under the water letting the warm water flow around him. He hadn't noticed how nice the warm water felt on his skin. He couldn't remember feeling water ever feeling this comfortable before. Then again the shower his apartment only had cold water. Rising up for air he laid back against the rocks that made up the sides of the natural spring.

He had never felt so free before. Finally he was seen as human, not a monster. Ino, Mikon, Jiraiya, the three of them accepted him not as a monster but as a person. The joy he felt right now warmed him more then the water ever could. Basking in the warmth he sank a little as he wondered if things would stay that way. Would they continue to accept him and more so could he accept himself?

Snapping him from his thoughts was Jiraiya greeting him as he slipped into the water. "Morning Naruto, you ready for today?"

"Yeah, I can't wait to learn the same skills that my parents learned, Dattebayo!" Naruto replied pushing his more darker thoughts from his head. He had ever reason to be excited today, finally he would have something that connected him to his parents.

Jiraiya laughed out at the sight of Naruto's enthusiasm. "Gyaahaha, good to hear, I expect to see that same determination and guts later today." As he looked at Naruto he noticed the boy took on more pondering expression with a bit of fear mixed in. "Got something on your mind?" Jiraiya asked in concern.

Naruto collecting his worries before he asked, "How long am I allowed to stay her for?" wondering how long the warm environment would be available to him. Jiraiya face blanked in surprise. He thought for a moment a low hum escaping from his lips. His original excuse was until Naruto's apartment was repaired but know he wondered if that was really a good idea. The old pervert could tell that within their short exchanges that Naruto had begun to warm up and feel happy since their arrival.

Fearing Naruto would regress back into darkness he turning his attention back to Naruto he said, "I guess that depends on you."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked. He was simply used to being told where and what he could and couldn't do and it really bugged him at times. Instead he was being told it was up to him and this caught him off guard.

"Well as your Godfather I'm technically your guardian though I don't think I deserve to be since I haven't been around to look after you for so long. So your apartment should be rebuilt in about a week so until then I guess, unless you want to stay and live here." Jiraiya said.

"Really! can I really live with you and Mikon-chan?" Naruto asked in joyous shock. He could live with his Godfarther and no longer be alone. Naruto was overjoyed as he looked at Jiraiya hoping this wasn't him still being asleep.

Jiraiya scratched his chin looking away. "Well I wont always be around but if you like..." He was interrupted as Naruto jumped him, embracing him with the biggest hug anyone had ever seen. "Thank you Ojisan."

"Knock it off kid, your embarrassing me. Common let go." Jiraiya shouted as he struggled to get Naruto off of him. " **Kuchiyose no Jutsu!** " Jiraiya stopped struggling as the sound of multiple summonings and the voice of an ominous girl rang out loudly over their heads. Jumping up he pushed Naruto out of danger and readied to move himself. Jiraiya looked up and realized he was one second too late.

"TOAD PILE!" Mikon shouted as she rode on Gama surrounded by several large toads. The last thing Jiraiya saw was the tail end of one of said large toads falling from the sky. "Damn bra...!"

KA-SPLASH!

The massive wave washed over Naruto as Mikon rolled off of Gama and fell into the water in front of Naruto. Jumping back up to her feet, she fisted the air and shouted, "Perfect Entry!" Naruto blushed as he stared at her. The girl really was different from other girls. If Naruto saw this much of another girl in the village he'd have woken up in the hospital after she beat him up for stairing. While taking in the vibrant display Mikon presented Naruto noticed on her stomach was a strange pattern that looked like a spiral pattern in the shape of a star. Wondering what it was he looked up to see an ominous figure looming over Mikon.

As she laughed she looked down just in time to see Naruto's face go from a shade of pink to pale white. Turning around slowly she saw a wet, irritated, and pissed off Jiraiya.

* * *

"TACTICAL RETREAT!" Mikon screamed as she grabbed Naruto and ran from the bath.

Walking up to the old safehouse that was once Minato's, Hiruzen made his way though the forest in search of the residents that took up living there. Hiruzen had to give Jiraiya credit for thinking of using Minato's abandoned safehouse as a place to live in.

Hiruzen was in a good mood as he hummed to himself through the wooded area. Having succeeded in getting the primary issues of Naruto's enrollment for the academy taken care of and WAY sooner then he had expected and with little trouble, Hiruzen was in a marvelous mood. Never in his wildest dreams did he think the council and even his advisers would put up no resistance to his proposal of putting Naruto into the Academy. The only thing he could think of that could make his day any better was if the mountain of paperwork on his desk finished itself.

Wishing to congratulate and inform Naruto personally of his early enrollment to the academy while informing Jiraiya of... other matters... he made his way alone secretly to the house. By no means was he seeking them as an excuse to get away from the massive piles of paperwork that loomed over his desk, though that would be a natural perk for him.

Making his way into the clearing he turned to see a sight that gave even the wise and experienced man pause. "Gyyaaa! He's gaining on us! Hop faster you guys!" Mikon shouted as the mob of human and toads jumped through the bushes into the clearing.

That last thing the aging Hokage expected to see so early in the morning was a naked screaming Mikon dragging an unconscious, nose bleeding Naruto surrounded by a horde of toad summons being chased by an equally less then modest Jiraiya with a fully loaded Rasengan.

Sarutobi Hiruzen watched the scene, tipped his Hokage hat to cover his face, and turned around. Making his way back the way he came he heard a thundering bang and scream from Mikon as a large dust cloud formed beyond the trees.

"Its way to early for this." Hiruzen grumbled as he let out a sigh. Between the sight of the new mischievous blonde and his student's, unique lack of apparel, Hiruzen decided that his mountain of paperwork was less hazardous to his sanity then confronting the scene he had just left behind.

A couple of hours later Ino arrived to see a very strange sight. When she opened the door she found Mikon tied up hanging from the ceiling and Naruto laying down on the floor asleep. Noticing that Naruto looked paler then usual and the large exaggerated bump protruding from Mikon's head she knew something happened and she had just missed it.

"Ino, glad you made it here. Now once Naruto wakes up we can... speak of the devil." Jiraiya said as he greeted Ino. Naruto who had been lying down slowly came to and looked around in a daze of confusion.

"Get it together kid, or are you no longer interested in learning your parent's awesome justu from me." Jiraiya mockingly said.

Snapping out of his confusion, Naruto quickly rushed to his room to get his cloths and things ready not realizing how much of a show he displayed for the guest he didn't notice. As he ran off he left a laughing Jiraiya and an embarrassed and blushing Ino behind. To say this was her first time seeing a boy would not be an understatement. A few seconds later after her blush returned to normal and she collected her thoughts Ino turned to Jiraiya and asked, "So why is Mikon tied up and why was Naruto naked?"

"He's not the only one." Mikon giggled perversely as she swung herself back and forth cheerily.

Ino just stood there blushing and confused as Jiraiya begun spinning Mikon around until she was too dizzy to see straight. Before Ino could ask again or Jiraaiya could inform her, Naruto appeared fully dressed and ready to go. Nodding Jiraiya hung Mikon over his shoulder cutting the line holding her to the ceiling before speaking.

"Alright now that we're all ready lets go."

Walking out the door Naruto followed after Jiraiya, excitement oozing with each bounce in his step. Irritated that she was ignored, Ino pouted as she followed suit. It was probably better she didn't know what happened as she blush again at her first encounter.

"Alright you two, because Mikon wanted to practice ambush tactics this morning she'll be 'practicing' the consequences of a failed ambush attempt. First lets start with Ino." Pulling out a large box of practice kunai from a scroll he set the box down and pointed at the wood target dangling from the tree branch. First up Ino, your goal is to throw these Kunai and land a bullseye five times. When you run out of kunai we'll take a pause to critique your form."

"Critique?" Ino asked. Jiraiya smiled, "Go over things you did right and things we can improve on." he explained. "Also I should inform you that Mikon over there's best record is six bullseyes in a row." he continued cheekily, prodding Ino's competitive nature. Ino turned serious at the thought of out doing Mikon and quickly started throwing kunai at the target.

See this Jiraiya turned to Naruto and smiled. "So what are you gonna teach me Ojisan?" Naruto asked. "How to spit fire? Summon Toads? Disappear in a puff of smoke? What about the blue ball thing?"

"Easy there kid, first off it's Jiraiya-sensei. Second I thought I was gonna teach you your parents secret justu. Now what I'm gonna teach you is this." he said holding up the scroll he just used to pull out the box of kunai. Naruto looked at the open scroll looking at the weird markings confused and disappointed. "Eehhhh, I wanted to learn something cool not how to draw bad artwork." he pouted clearly disappointed at what appeared to be a scroll with weird symbols on it.

"Not cool enough? Ha, this here is the result of fuinjustu." Jiraiya explained in mock disbelief, "I'll have you know I learned fuinjustu from your parents. I thought that was what you wanted, something your parents could do?" Naruto eyes lit up when he heard this. He didn't know what Fuinjustu were but if his parents knew it then he wanted to learn it. "Not to mention," Jiraiya continued seeing his ploy was working. "Your parents where masters of Fuinjustu and besides them I am the only Fuinjustu master in this village."

This tidbit of information made Naruto's eyes sparkle. He was gonna learn something that most Ninja in the village didn't know and that only one person in the village had mastered. He had completely forgotten his disappointment at its lack of flashy appearance or that he had any idea to what is was but that didn't last long.

"As for it not being cool," Jiraiya continued pulling out a piece of paper, " I guess this just isn't flashy enough to appeal to a brat, huh."

Swinging his arm around he slapped the paper to a tree trunk and jumped back. Naruto watched as the paper lit up on fire and watched as it... "BOOM!", blew up the tree trunk causing the tree to be decimated and fall down. This was the last straw for Naruto.

"I take it back, please teach me funjutsu Jiraiya-ojison." Naruto exclaimed his eyes practically glowing with excitement. "Hook line and sinker" Jiraiya thought to himself pulling out a scroll. With a nibble, he drew blood and summoned a small table with a scroll and a box of paper strips.

"Jiraiya-sensei." he enunciated, picking up the scroll as he held it before Naruto.

"First you'll practice with a simple chakra seal. Read the scroll carefully to understand the basics and draw the seal. If I can pour my chakra into it and store it then you pass the first step." He informed.

"Eeeh? I have to read?" Naruto complained. He never liked reading and it didn't help that he had been kicked out of the Library numerous times for no reason. Jiraiya sighed, "If you don't want to learn this awesome art that your parents knew or don't have the guts to succeed... Oh I get it, you don't have the skill to learn it" Jiraiya mockingly goaded.

"I didn't say that! Just you watch I'll have succeeded before lunch!" Naruto shouted. He didn't like be looked down upon. Jiraiya shook his head, "This isn't something so easy that a kid can do it in one day." Jiraiya said seriously. "I'd be surprised if you passed this first step within a year. Well, go at it and show me what you got." He sat down under a tree as he to watch the two work.

"So what are you gonna teach me?" Mikon asked. Jiraiya nearly jumped out of his geta sandals. Turning to look he saw Mikon still bound up in rope crawling towards him. "What are you an inch-worm? I swear for someone so loud you're surprising skilled at sneaking up on people." Jiraiya said exasperated.

"Hehe, I learned from the best after all. So? So? What are you gonna teach me?" Mikon asked anxiously.

"You already have something, you still haven't mastered the Summoning Jutsu since you essentially summon a random Toad each time." Jiraiya explained.

"Oh come on, that's not fair." Mikon pouted. She didn't like the fact she wasn't learning anything new while Naruto-kun and Ino-san did. Jiraiya raised his hand and ruffled her hair. "While I won't teach you anything new I never said you couldn't watch and learn while I teach them." he said in a matter-a-factly tone.

Mikon quickly smiled and turned to watch Ino chuck the last of her kunai as Jiraiya got up to fix the numerous problems in he form which wasn't so surprising since she just started.

And so they day progressed much as Jiraiya expected. He chuckled as he was pleased with how cunning he was. He succeeded in teaching them without have to do anything really. Ino would throw hundreds of kunai which resulted in him simply saying "Your still twisting you elbow" or "use your wrist more." before having her collect the kunai to start over again.

Naruto on the other hand was occupied by Fuinjustu basics. It was by no means a easy skill to learn and a single pen stroke mistake resulted in a failure. So after the first few 'presentations' of Naruto's first attempts, Jiraiya told him that if it didn't look exactly like the one in the scroll then it was no where good enough. And so Jiraiya was left alone while Naruto slowly but surly became more aggravated with the difficulty of the task he was given. Both tasks he had given the kids required for the most part repetitive learning through actions and so he barely had to lift a finger.

As for Mikon she was fixated on picking up any little thing that could improve here own throwing skills by watching Ino. Having gotten irritated at the girls constant inch-worm pacing in front of him, going from watching Naruto to Ino, Jiraiya tied her to a tree branch with what rope he had on him. And so the groups day went on. Ino continuously throwing kunai, Naruto working on his art skills, Jiraiya sleeping, and Mikon dangling from a tree branch switching her gaze from one blond to the other.

\- Three week later-

"GYRAAA! WHY WON'T IT WORK!" Naruto shouted. He had been working non stop drawing the same chakra seal all week and he didn't feel like he was making any progress. Scattered around his room was hundreds of slips of failed attempts. His room was covered with so many failed attempts that his room looked like a kaleidoscope of paper. Adding onto his irritation was to everyone's surprise just a day earlier Ino managed to reach her target and land not five but seven bullseyes with her kunai practice.

Naruto was jealous and happy that she succeeded despite his own lack of progress. He felt a little better at the thought of it being a fluke and he felt better especially after learning that she achieve her goal as a result of Mikon surprising her which resulted in her landing two bullseyes by chance. From what he was told she had snuck behind Ino and gently traced her finger up her spine which in turn resulted in a shriek and hasty throw from Ino.

Having shut himself in his room for the entirety of the three weeks he devotied his time to achieving the first step of Fuinjutsu. It drove him insane how he couldn't make any progress and each time he tried it was just another paper scribble with no use. It also didn't help that he didn't want to be left behind as Ino improved and Mikon summoning her own improvements. In order to keep up doubled his efforts in making a chakra seal spending nearly twenty-four hours doing nothing but chakra seals.

"Still having trouble Naruto-kun?"

Naruto tilted his head back to see Ino looming over him. He smiled, "Yeah this is really hard. I don't know what I'm doing wrong." Naruto liked it when Ino came to visit him. It reminded him that even if she improved she'd be his friend although his fears lingered in the back of his mind that they'd leave him should he fall behind.

Looking back at the scroll, determined to find a hint to succeed he reread what he had already read a hundred times over. Ino poked her head around him to look at the scroll. Resting her head on his shoulder she gazed at the scroll Jiraiya gave Naruto for Fuinjutsu. "It just looks like really bad calligraphy." She said aloud.

"Why don't you ask Jiraiya to teach you something else? Oh I know, you can join me in throwing kunai." she suggested. Like Naruto she also enjoyed being in his company. From what she had been told in the village, she expected Naruto to be more of a trouble maker or some kind of monster. The reality was however that he was really sweat and kind.

She thought back to how he gave her his towel when she forgot hers a week ago. She hated working out since it messed up her hair and made her sweaty which she didn't like. She bore with it however since she liked it when Naruto got excited when she succeeded at something. He'd jump up and down shouting praise left and right when she achieved her goal or did something he thought was cool. His honest and kind straight forward nature was really starting to show itself the longer she was with him. When they left the forest however he always seemed to regress back to either being silent and withdrawn or loud and boisterous. The first in general and the later when someone called him "that boy" or "monster brat" when Mikon wasn't around to, as Ino came to call it, "prince check" them.

"Sure..." Naruto said reluctantly. The two made their way to their private practice spot. In silence they ran around throwing kunai at their targets.

For the next week Ino dragged Naruto around with her to practice their shurikenjustu. Dragging him away from fuinjutsu at first felt like it would help him cheer up since when she took a step away from something she would slowly cheer up and be ready to tackle it again.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

As they continued to practice however Ino was becoming progressively more irritated. Sure it was only a week but in that week she had seen Naruto's throwing skills drop and get progressively worse. Sure he wasn't great but he was decent enough to hit the target. As she watched her irritation grew along with Naruto's margin of error with each throw. As time passed his aim was going from close to the targets to the trees nearby.

"Mou! Whats wrong Naruto?" Ino shouted. Naruto stopped practicing to look at her. It was the first time she yelled at him and he wasn't sure how to respond. "You shouldn't ignore us. So what if you're struggling. Just ask someone for help. If nothing else you can just give up." she said exasperated at the boy's behavior. It was clear something was distracting him and him not speaking up only drove her up the wall even more.

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ANYTHING!" Naruto shouted. "It's the only thing I have, the only thing I can do to be close to my parents. SOME LIKE YOU WHO HAS PARENTS WHO LOVE YOU! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW I FEEL!"

Running off, Naruto left a dumbfounded Ino behind. She wondered where all that came from and why did her yell at her like that. After a few minutes past and Ino came out of her state of shock. That was the first time he yelled at her, and was he... crying?

"You really screwed that one up brat."

Ino turned around to see Jiraiya leaning against a tree. "It's not like I was wrong." Ino retorted, angry at being yelled at by Naruto and now being called a brat by Jiraiya just added to her irritation.

"Go home and take a break for the day brat." Jiraiya said indifferently. "There won't be any practice today, so go home."

As he walked off, Ino was left fuming. She didn't do anything wrong. Naruto was acting all depressed again and wouldn't say anything. All she did was voice her frustration and worry. She didn't deserve to be treated like that. She made her way back to her house. Inoichi stood in front of the shop helping prep the store when he spotted Ino marching down the street. "Your home early, did you forget something?" Ignoring her father she made her way inside marching up the stairs to her room.

"Ino-hime?" Inoichi asked worried. Making his way upstairs after Ino. "Whats the matter?" he asked as he entered her room and sat beside her. Ino was lying on her bed face first. Turning to her father she complained to him about everything that had happened. How the three practiced together, played together, and how Naruto was becoming depressed and obsessed with his 'drawings' shutting himself away in his room the more he failed to make progress. As Inoichi listened carefully to how what his daughter had said to him and Naruto's reaction, he couldn't help but recall Naruto's personal memories. He coudln't blame his daughter for not understanding the boys plight, after all she was still too young to think about how others felt. If anything it was how mature Naruto was in comparison that should have shocked him. Usually kids start thinking about others kids and their desires after they turn six. Only four Naruto already thought abstract thoughts such as how his actions influence others. Even so for him to get upset at Ino was only natural in this case.

"Naruto and Jiraiya-sensei. I didn't say anything wrong and its not like he couldn't do something else or give up if its too hard." She complained. Inoichi looked at his daughter and shook his head.

"That's where your wrong Ino." he said causing his daughter to look at him incredulously. "From what you told me the "drawings" he's struggling to learn is called Fuinjutsu. It's not something just anyone can learn and not even your daddy can learn it. But Fuinjutsu is more important to Naruto then you think. Unlike you who has a mother and farther who loves you very much, Naruto doesn't know who his parents are nor what a parent's love is. And even worse for him, those who know aren't allowed to tell him who they are or why they aren't there for him. Then there are the villagers who hate him for reasons he doesn't understand and refuse to accept him." He explained taking a deep breath after speaking. It was hard for him to look at this topic subjectivly. Between the waves of sadness, anger, fury, and feelings of weakness that washed over him, Inoichi had a hard time controlling his voice as he spoke to his daughter.

"Fuinjutsu is an art that only a few in our village know how to preform and the only master of the art left in the village is Lord Jiraiya. Naruto's parents also knew Fuinjutsu and its a skill that its incredibly hard to master. For Naruto its a means by which to get recognized by the village and get closer to his parents." Inoichi explained. "So when you told him to give up, you essentially told him to give up on proving himself and bonding with his lost parents."

"But that's not what I..." Ino began to interject stopping when Inoichi hugged her. "I know, you didn't mean that but it's what he heard. And having his close friend say that to him hurt more then you can imagine." He said. Ino began to shiver, tears were starting to blind her as she came to understand how much she hurt Naruto and why he shouted at her. Inoichi hugged his little princess as she began to weep in his arms. "Don't worry my little hime, You'll make up with him and when you do I know you'll grow and become even kinder and closer to your friends then you where before." Patting her head he consoled her as she cried.

-Elsewhere-

Naruto was running through the forest behind the Hokage monument. He was hurt and angry. Why did Ino-chan say that and why couldn't he make any progress with foon... fuinjutsu. He wanted to learn it but it was driving him insane. It was boring and repetitive and no mater what he did it was always wrong. It would take him a gazillion attempts just to get one success and he was only one person.

Jumping from tree to tree he made use of his acrobatic skills he acquired from being chased by the villagers all the time. To any untrained eye he would have appeared to be a skilled ninja rushing through the forest. The only thing was Naruto didn't know how to use chakra and was simply free running which made it more impressive.

Hitting a wet spot and losing his balance he fell from a tree landing on a patch of bushes. Rubbing his head he looked to see if anything was broken. His stomach growled and his head hurt but was otherwise fine. Standing up he spotted a bunch of mushrooms. Red ones, brown ones, and even a few white ones. Smiling to himself he picked as many as he could hold and carried them. Not realizing he had skipped out on both breakfest and lunch he was famished and was thankful for all the times he spend living off the forests behind the village.

Thinking he had found his dinner he readied to head back but stopping at the thought of Ino. He was alone again, and at that thought although it hurt he realized he wanted to be alone. Heading deeper into the forest he found a river with a few trapped fish just off the side of the stream. After securing them and catching a few more he made a fire and set cooked what he had.

If Naruto was anything he was resourceful, even when he was in the orphanage. He wasn't brain smart per say but he was intelligent. Having been short changed food all the time he had learned how to cook fish and other plants to survive. Although he lacked any concept of identifying poisonous versus non-poisonous plants between his luck and his healing ability he never got poisoned or hurt seriously by anything he made. The result at most was an upset stomach and the knowledge of what plants and fish were good to eat and weren't good to eat.

Sitting their alone eating a few mushrooms while waiting for the fish and 'mushroom' soup to cook he stared at the river and ground. Why did everyone hate him and why did everything blow up in his face. His thoughts lead him to Ino and wondered why he was so angry at what she said. She was right in a way. A week had passed and his scribbles still looked no different from the mess he made on his first day. Maybe he should just give up.

Tears slid down his face not realizing he was crying at the thought. Rubbing his eyes he huddled closer to the fire as he hugged his legs. As the sun set he picked up one of his fish that was cooked and began eating it. Blowing on it, he ate it remembering how good Ichiracu was in comparison.

As he ate alone he didn't noticed a figure approach him. Naruto was surprised as an Old balding man sniffed the fish he was eating. "Wh-Who are you?" Naruto asked not expecting anyone to have found him way out in the middle of the forest.

The old man stood up smiling, "What? I'm just an old man passing through." he said turning his head to look at the fire.

"Grrrraawl."

The old man's stomach roared as naruto looked at the man. Both stared at each other with a blank expression before they both broke out into laughter. "Here, jichan, eat this." Naruto said offering one of the fish he cooked.

"Oh thank you" the man said taking the offering. He looked at the fish with anticipation. "Ohhh, this looks really tasty." he said admiring the food.

"Well, It's the fish I caught it. So of course it's gonna taste good" Naruto said with pride. He didn't know who the old man was but he felt better having someone around to talk too. Even if he wanted to be alone it hurt to much to be alone after Mikon, Ino, and Jiraiya entered his life.

The old man laughed, "Oh is that so... Hot! Oh that's hot" Eating the fish together time passed by as night fell upon the duo.

As time passed Naruto's gaze returned to the ground, his thoughts returned to his troubles that haunted him. "Ohhh, the stars sure are bright tonight." The old man said gazing upward prompting Naruto to look up. "The stars?" Naruto asked. "Thats right. Did you know each one of those twinkling lights represents a sun as big as the one that we have during the day?" the man questioned.

"You mean that big bright one during the day?" Naruto asked looking at the old man.

"That's right, and like ours each one of them could have a world just like ours." the old man continued. "And if you think about it real hard all of our problems are pretty small in comparison them aren't they."

Naruto looked up in amazement. Each one of those little dots were so far away but just as big as the sun. As he thought about it he realized how small the problems he had were. He didn't understand why he felt this way but it made him feel better. "You sure know a lot old man."

"Grrraaaaaawl!"

"Grraawwwl!"

Both their stomachs growled at the same time. Laughing at the silliness of the situations the two enjoyed the moment. "Do you want some of my mushroom soup, jichan?" Naruto asked.

"Are you sure you can spare me some?" The man asked.

"Sure! You're really interesting." Naruto responded. "Hey jichan can I ask you something?" The man turned to look at Naruto as he told him everything that happened that weak and why he was so upset and fixated on Fuinjutsu.

"I see so that's how it is..." The man replied in thought. Naruto looked back down as he asked the question that had been on his mind. "Do you think Ino-chan hates me for yelling at her, dettabayo?"

The man chuckled, "I'm sure she'll forgive you. Your friends right, even the best of friends fight sometimes, its just a matter of apologizing and forgiving each other."

"You think so? Then I'll be sure to apologize to her." Naruto said with a big grin. The old man smiled pleased with his answer. "Is that so, is that so. In that case as a present I'll give you a hint." Naruto looked at the man with an inquisitive starre. "A hint?"

"That's right," the man replied "While I don't know much about Fuinjutsu I do know this much. Don't rush it and practice, never giving up. When making a seal you have to make sure it is drawn as each word and pattern has a purpose. Even the best ninja in the world don't practice Fuinjutsu because its so hard to get right and they give up. Its like trying to learn how to write a letter over and over till you right it the same way exactly every time. So my advice is instead of trying to succeed try writing it so you use the same stroke everytime."

His 'hint' revitalized Naruto's determination. Even the strongest ninja give up learning Fuinjutsu because its so difficult to learn. If he just has to make the patterns just right then he couldn't give up yet. If he kept at it he'd be able to do it one day. Such thoughts rang through Naruto's head and he became excited. So what if he was struggling, If he gave up now he'd never get it. If he didn't give up then he's be able to become closer to his parents.

"But wait, if the strongest ninja had trouble learning Fuinjutsu didn't that mean his parents where awesomely strong ninja" Naruto asked himself in his mind.

"Naruto-kun!"

A girls voice rang through the dark forest. Turning towards the voice Naruto shouted back in surprise, "Ino-chan? What are you doing here."

Naruto didn't expect to see Ino out so late, nor in such a messy state. Her hair was a mess with twigs and leaves stuck in it. Her shirt was missing its sleeve and along with her skirt which was covered with tears and missing fabric. For Ino who always liked to look her best, this was a first for Naruto. "Did she end up like that looking for me?" Naruto wondered.

"Naruto-kun I'm sorry for what I said, I didn't mean for you to give up. I just don't like you ignoring me. You just were getting more and more upset and I didn't like seeing you like that. I'm sorry."

Ino finished her apology looking away in embarrassment. "No, I shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm sorry too" Naruto apologized as well. For a moment of silence the two didn't say anything. The awkward moment continued both unsure what to say next. "Um Ino-chan?" Naruto was the first to reply.

"Are your parents okay with you being out so late?" Naruto asked

A shy grin slipped across her face. "I kinda snuck out to apologize but couldn't find you. I'm so gonna be in trouble with my parents when I get back." She answered. Honestly she didn't care about how much trouble she'd be in when she returned home. All she cared about was making up with Naruto. She never really thought about how he felt and just forced herself on him, thinking she was right. So making up with him was more important and would make up for any punishment she would receive.

"Then... do you want to watch the stars with me?" Naruto asked. Ino looked at him as a smile graced her face, "Sure, I'd love too."

Sitting down on a rock they stared at the sky as the stars shined brightly. Naruto looked at the mess that was Ino and moved himself behind her. Slowly Naruto started pulling out the twigs and leaves stuck in her hair.

"What are you..." Ino began to say but went silent. Relaxing she stared back at the stars as Naruto used his hands to clean up and comb her hair. It was relaxing and comfortable staring up at the sky and having Naruto comb her hair. It was a clumsy act but it was a comforting and gently gesture.

As the two made up, in the distance a pair of eyes watched over the two. Jiraiya stood under the a tree watching the two with a smirk on his face. "Geez, the boy's gonna be a real lady killer in the future. By the way here's your hat sensei." Jiraiya said handing Hiruzen his hat. The old man took it and placed it on his balding head. "I was surprised to see you with Naruto. If the council learns of this they'll start spouting favoritism against you" Jiraiya joked. Hiruzen laughed, "Well I didn't pay him enough attention before and I'm not gonna leave him alone so soon after he just attempted to take his own life."

"It's surprising that he didn't recognize you, you'd think that hat made up all your recognizable features." Jiraiya said poking fun at Hiruzen always wearing the Hokage hat. Hiruzen said nothing as he turned and walked out of the forest heading back to his office. "Your no fun sensei."

Looking up to the sky Jiraiya called out, "What about you? You where the first to find him, aren't you gonna join in?"

On a tree branch, Mikon sat staring at the duo. When Naruto disappeared the few people who cared about him went out searching for him. Mikon having found him first decided to inform everyone of Naruto's location when she learned of it. The last thing she wanted was everyone to panic.

"Nah, I'm just gonna sit here and watch. This is their moment. It would be pretty mean of me to ruin it right now." Mikon explained handing upside down from the limb above Jiraiya. Jiraiya looked up in surprise. It always surprised him when she showed this understanding and mature side she possessed. Despite all her pranks, mistakes, and loud tomboyish behavior she was surprisingly considerate and mature at times when those she cherished were involved.

"Hehehe, besides I 'borrowed' this camera earlier. When I get these printed out it will make great prank and blackmail material." She giggled manically. Jiraiya nearly face faulted at the girls declaration. Yeah, he thought to himself, this was just how Mikon was; always using everything at her disposal to have fun. Like always he wondered if he was overthinking it though he knew that was just how she was.

Naruto combing Ino's hair really was too big of an opportunity to pass up for the little prankster. "Well so long as you don't pass any of your bad habits to either of them" Jiraiya said with a sigh. One loud, aggressive, prank master, training obsessed blonde was bad enough, he thought to himself. He could only pray that Naruto and Ino didn't take after her and add to his troubles.

* * *

To Jiraiya's dismay Mikon passed her worst traits equally between Ino and Naruto over the next two years. Sitting down at his desk Jiraiya found it him work to reflect on the growth of the trio whenever he was stuck with his writing and couldn't peek *cough* study his favorite material.

Ino in the last year had become louder and more violent thanks to Mikon constantly pushing her buttons. The rivalry the two shared had become almost as famous as the one between Ino and Sakura. Ino also developed a more willingness to speak her thoughts and even started to gain a sizable ego as well which wasn't directed at Mikon alone.

Naruto's early enrollment into the Academy in particular left a noticeable impact on it. The resulting catastraphy upon learning this fact demonstrated all of these traits in a single evening. In a fit of envy she essentially devastated their secret training ground with shuriken even destroying the numerous targets and equipment that they had when she practice that evening. It turned out in a fit of rage Ino had far greater control and power with her technicians then she normally did. She was like a sane version of a drunken fist user except with fury instead of alcohol.

That evening was hardly the first and it never help that Mikon always joined in on her destructive rampages just because she found it fun to do so. The end results were always numerous craters from toad summons and cuts and lacerations all across the training field or whatever place they happened to through down in. To any observers it looked like the aftermath of a war zone and to those present to watch, a scary nightmare to behold. Jiraya rubbed his nose as he wondered why it was in these situations that the two always seemed to ignore their rivalry and work together.

Naruto on the other hand didn't turn out as Jiraiya had expected. He went from an overly boastrous blond to a sly social introvert. Mostlikely due to the way the villagers treated him and how he gained a accepting family, Naruto seemed to withdrawal into his shell in public and become active when with friends. The result was a strange mix of people constantly hearing him throughout the village, but rarely seeing him. The only interaction with the village he now usually had was when he would prank them. Thanks to Mikon Naruto had come to have a love of tricking and pranking people; Although Jiraiya figured that it was simply in his blood and Mikon simply pulled it out of him.

He also wasn't the brightest light bulb on the block, but he was by no means stupid. While his grades in the Academy showed him to be a failure his actions and achievements proved this to be anything but true. He wasn't the genius his father was, but Naruto was creative and innovative usually figuring out things on his own and finding solutions where others would usually give up and seek another means to achieve success. The result was an unpredictable mess that no one had any clue how to deal with, Jiraiya included. Yet at the same time he seemed like a complete idiot.

Jiraiya remembered how surprised Naruto was when he made the connection that the kind Old man he met the night he ran into two years ago was the Hokage that visited him every so often. Still it was nice that from that point on the two started to share a quiet relationship which strengthened Naruto's mental fortitude. The more people supporting Naruto in his life the better, even if Hiruzen couldn't do it upfront with all the politics involved, it was better then before.

To Jiraiya's relief as well, getting into the academy early made Naruto feel like he wasn't gonna be left behind and help with his mental state as well. Feeling like he was ahead of the curb bolstered the boys well hidden low self-esteem. Further more when he did enter he would attempt to teach Mikon and Ino what he learned in class, attempt being the key word. However Jiraiya couldn't help but feel there was something more as the mention of the academy always seemed to stur up a shadow behind the boys eyes.

Which was another thing that surprised Jiraiya. Naruto had developed the strangest talent he had ever seen. As if almost by instinct Naruto could read a person by their eyes. Wether they were in pain or lying Naruto could always tell. It was vague and not minding reading but he could sense what another was feeling or when they were in pain. He wondered if Naruto had latent sensory abilities or if it was just his experience looking into other peoples eyes and seeing hate.

"EEEEEEK!" A shriek cut throughout the village pulling Jiraiya from his thoughts. Putting down his pen he rubbed the bridge of his nose again.

Then there was Mikon, a parents nightmare. It was thanks to her that he was starting to have chronic headaches. Within a matter of months of arriving she had become the new terror of Konoha. Even becoming as famous as the Kyuubi among the adults. The 'Toad Priestess' as she called herself had become known as the 'Toad Nightmare" to most of the village. Making good on her promise to "prince check" any villager that talked poorly about Naruto. This made the villagers blame the boy for their new nightmare but having Mikon defend him made up for it in his eyes since the hatred would already be their regardless.

"Bang!" The door to the house opened and was shut violently pulling Jiraiya from his thoughts. Standing in the open hall stood Mikon dragging a nearly unconscious Naruto by his collar, which was becoming a common occurrence. The girl had also gained a tendency to drag people at full speed whenever she was in a hurry.

"So what did you do this time?" Jiraiya asked exasperated. Mikon just turned her head not looking at her sudo-father, pouting as she crossed her arms.

"Some jerks where talking about me in the onsen and she "prince checked" them." Naruto answered, pulling himself off the ground straightening his collar. Naruto was wearing an orange sweatshirt on top of a blue shirt, with green cargo pants. Jiraiya allowed the two to wear whatever they liked but he always wondered why the boy had the strange obsession with the color orange.

"So tell me why did it sound like a women screaming?" Jiraiya interrogated wanting to know what mess he should expect to come to his door later the evening. Whenever Mikon did something the villagers would always come and complain to him though it did little good.

"Well since most guys only get annoyed, I summoned tadpoles on them." Mikon explained

"Tadpoles?" Jiraiya was confused what could a few tadpoles do that was so bad. He figured some guys were picking on Naruto but couldn't figure what she could do with tadpoles that would make them scream out like school girls.

"She summoned them with a Kancho" Naruto interjected causing Jiraiya to face plant into his table. Just imagining it made him regret asking. Explaining what transpired Naruto informed Jiraiya as Mikon left to relax in her room. Catching his thoughts Jiraiya let out a sigh.

"Your telling me that she snuck into the boys bath, Kancho'd them and summoned tadpoles in..."

"Yeah" Naruto confirmed trying his best not to laugh at the memory of the jerks face. Naruto wasn't malicious but he always liked it when his friends supported him.

Nartuto watched as Jiraiya sighed into the desk he was currently faceplanting and waved for them to go. "Just go" he said. There was no way he was gonna deal with this. As he said Naruto made his way with Mikon to their rooms when Jiraiya saw the academy report lying on the table and recalling something important he wanted to discuss.

"Hold up kid."

Naruto stopped to see Jiraiya holding the academy report card. "I hear you failed the academy exam, again." he said placing the report down. Naruto cringed. "Aw man, Jiraiya-ojisan found out" he thought. The last person he wanted to learn about it was his godfather. He already failed it once and this was the second year he attempted the final and failed.

Although he'd never say it out right, Naruto hated the academy most of his hated him and sever actively tried to sabotage him. If he wasn't as good at observing the other students and mimicking what they learned Naruto would have had to drop out from being miss taught.

"I know the council made it so you could take the exam at the end of each year but failing it twice in a row. You've only been in the academy for two years. I know you're a screw up but seriously kid this is sad." Jiraiya lectured.

"Its not my fault the teachers ignore me and don't teach me. Besides they had that damn Bunshin no Jutsu again. I don't get why I can't do it, every time I try my jutsu goes wrong. I don't know why it never works." Naruto complained. Naruto honestly didn't know what he was doing wrong. Both Ino and Mikon managed to get it down within a few months with only a few errors after he repeated the lecture on the jutsu. Two years in his clones were still as pathetic as the day he first tried. They were either small, sickly, incomplete, or dissipated after a second. Usually a combination of the four and it irritated him to no end.

Jiraiya sighed, he knew why the boy's clones were so horrendous. With so much chakra the boy had little to no control which resulted in a failed bunshin. Jiraiya was actually proud of the boys success. True his clones where disastrous but considering the amount of chakra he had to work with it was amazing he could produce anything at all. Even more surprising was the relationship of the Naruto's chakra and the seal on him. After a bit of prodding Jiraiya realized something incredible. The seal was designed to mix small portion of the foxes chakra into the boy so he could acclimate to the hostile chakra. And in order to ensure the boys protection the seal drained the boys large reserves to help contain the fox should it struggle to brake free. But for some reason the Kyuubi within Naruto was in a dormant like state. As a result the seal wasn't siphoning off chakra to reinforce the prison.

Normally this wouldn't mean anything except that the seal would be siphoning off Naruto's charkra proportionate to the kyuubi itself. Much like you need to push a stone to move it, you have to apply the same amount of force to stop it. In an active state the seal would be using up Kyuubi levels of chakra to reinforce itself. While this didn't tell Jiraiya exactly how much chakra Naruto had it gave him a shocking estimate. This meant that Naruto at bare minimum had levels of chakra that were at minimum on par with the Kyuubi's.

"Naruto, I'm not upset however I'd like you to do something for me." Jiraiya said.

"Do something for you? You're not gonna have me help you peek again ero-senin?" Naruto asked with a sly grin. He knew that wasn't what he wanted, but wanted a laugh so he intentionally provoked Jiraiya. He didn't really care if the old man peeked, but he didn't like being roped into helping him. Especially when the last time he did he ended up getting beaten up by Ino after being made a scapegoat. Although he apologized Ino didn't talk to him for a month. The only reason she did talk to him afterwards was because she found out he wasn't peeping and was only doing what Jiraiya told him to do so he could get her a present for her birthday.

"You damn brat, its not peeping! It's research!" Jiraiya yelled. "And no, that's not what I want."

Taking a breath Jiraiya braced himself for the yelling he was sure was to come. "Don't take the exam until you turn twelve." he told Naruto knowing the boy wasn't going to like having to wait.

"The hell Ojison!? Why do I have to wait for four years!?" Naruto shouted. He didn't understand why he had to wait for so long. If he kept at it he'd pass eventually. The only thing he sucked at was the bunshin no jutsu which seemed to haunt him in every class exam. He wasn't completely talent-less either. His natural strength and reflexes made him pretty strong in taijutsu and his shurikenjutsu skills where on par with Ino. His talent for Transformation or Henge no Jutsu however was where he really shined. Although he intentionally made a fool of himself to get attention at times, Naruto was incredibly skilled at the the jutsu to the point that the Transformation was even solid and so perfect that even a trained ninja wouldn't be able to differentiate him from the original let alone that it was a Henge.

"First off kid, I'm gonna be on a mission for an unknown amount of time, possibly as long as five years. With you, Ino, and Mikon in the academy I don't have to worry about leaving you guys behind." he started explaining, "AND, now that all three of you are in the academy I want you to enjoy being with them and not leave them behind." Jiraiya concluded.

Leave them behind? What did he mean by that Naruto wondered "I don't understand, you make it sound like I'm gonna abandon them or something." Naruto stated not entirely sure what he meant.

Jiraiya stood up gathering his things together before patting the blond's head. "Kid you might not be talented and you may not be a genius like your farther but you have more guts and determination then anyone else. You also work harder then anyone else and push your limits well past what most people even attempt. You'll go farther and higher then any ninja that came before you. Hell you already have the chakra to do it. But if you keep rushing as you are now you'll end up leaving you friends in the dust and you'll be alone again. So I want you to take it easy and enjoy your youth while you can. Keep training and pushing yourself, but wait until the time comes when your friends can graduate along with you."

This was the first time Jiraiya had seriously complemented and praised him. Naruto grin grew as he was left dumbfounded where he stood. Watching Jiraiya leave the house Naruto was lost in thought. For the first time someone actually believed he could do it, that he could be a strong shinobi. "You got it Jiraiya-ojisan! I'll master the bunshin no justu and graduate with Ino and Mikon. Just you wait, Dattebayo! I won't be just be able to make one clone I'll surprise you and make a hundred, even a thousand!" Naruto shouted as he rushed past Jiraiya to start training.

Smiling Jiraiya watched as he raced off to work on his declaration. "Foolish kid, there you go rushing off without listening to what I just said. Beside whose would ever use a hundred bunshin, they're not even solid clones."

* * *

After saying goodbye to Jiraiya Naruto went straight to training. Much to his irritation his clone training wasn't going well. Despite everything he couldn't make a single working clone no matter how hard he tried. Making matters worse it was beginning to snow and for the last week he hadn't seen Ino or Mikon for a long time. With the new semester starting, Ino and Mikon were prepping for their first day of classes with Naruto and they weren't around as much. Ino's family was having her practice learning their family Justu and Mikon was so nervous that she quiet literally was shaking all over Konoha. Several eye witnesses even spotted ANBU deployed to try and catch the nervous wreck after she destroyed several houses in a nervous panic.

" **Bunshin no Justu** "

Naruto shouted focusing his chakra with the Jutsu's hand signs. In a puff of smoke another Naruto appeared a sickly pale white. "GRAWWW! Why won't it work" Naruto shouted as he fell backwards into the snow. "Maybe I'll take a break and make some seals." Getting up and sitting on a swing set just outside the Academy he pulled out a small book and pulled out some pen and paper. Naruto found it relaxing to make seals and had begun to work on making his own paper bombs though they amounted to little more then a firecracker explosion and not the big bang ones that they where usually associated with. Since the techniques were so difficult and simply required repetitive practice, any time he felt stuck or depressed from a lack of progress he'd start practicing his fuinjutsu since any practice in the difficult art was progressive.

It also made him feel close to his parents and the book he used was a gift from Jiraiya who told him that his father used it when he was learning. It always reminded him of all the support and caring people in his life and made him feel all worm an fizzy inside.

"Hey Hyuga girl, show us your Byakugan!

"If you can't, then just get lost!"

"Your eyes are creepy..."

Naruto looked up and spotted three boys surounding someone. "Byakugan?" Naruto muttered, wondering why it sounded familiar. He hadn't heard of it before or at least he didn't think he had. Shifting he gaze to get a better look Naruto was able to see a small girl with blueish black hair with a whitish scarf around her neck. She appeared to be the same age as him. Wondering who she was he kept listening as the boys continue mocking the small girl.

"You're acturally just a monster, aren't you?"

"Yeah, a Byakugan monster!"

Naruto saw her crouch down onto the ground in tears which upset him. Naruto's blood boiled at the scene and was really angry. What got to him angry though wasn't them teasing her but because they called her a monster. Having been called a monster himself he hated people who called people names, especially when they called them stuff like monster or freak. People who didn't acknowledge other people for who they were just because they were different really got under his skin. Not willing to stand by any longer Naruto rushed in to intervene.

"Hey! Stop that!" Naruto shouted charging at the group of kids. The three boys turned to look at Naruto wondering who was shouting at them. "Huh, Who are you?" on of the boys asked.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! I'm gonna be the future Hokage, dattebayo! He shouted. He didn't really know what the Hokage was since he happened to read up on it by chance. But since the book said the Hokage were the strongest shinobi and Naruto wanted to be the strongest, he had come to calling that his dream.

"Future Hokage...?" one of the boys sneared. The trio lined up to face Naruto stare him down. "Are you an idiot?" The tallest of the group asked.

A vain bulged under Naruto's goggles. "I'm gonna show you! **Bunshin no Jutsu** " he shouted as two puffs of smoke burst to reveal two very tiny and cute Naruto's.

"I'm gonna beat you up, Dettabayo!"

"Debayo!"

The two mini-Naruto's cried out in a high pitch voice, respectively. Naruto was stupefied in embarrassment at how he failed so spectacularly, again.

As the three boys laughed mockingly, the leader of the trio punched Naruto right in the face. Falling back Naruto was broken out of his state of shock and got back up. "I'm not done yet!" he cried out mentally thanking Ino for all the times she hit him on reflex. He couldn't help but laugh in his head at how weak it was in comparison to an angry Ino punch.

With a bloody nose and his eye lid starting to swell shut from the hit Naruto pulled out the strips of paper he had been working on. Each strip had ink scribbles on it and were his attempts at learning to make paper bombs. As the three ganged up on Naruto using him as a punching bag Nartuo began placing the strips on each of them. Beaten and bruised Naruto endured the onslaught until he managed to place at least one stip on each of the three bullies.

Being sent back flying by one particularly well placed punch Naruto grinned evilly as he fell. "Take this!" he shouted forming a hand seal he lit the makeshift paper bombs. In seconds they strips started sparking like fireworks. The sudden sparks and fire took the three by surprise and the trio began to panic. Unable to put out the fire and sparks they fled in a screaming panic as Naruto struggled slightly getting back on his feet . "And don't you come back or I'll kick you asses again, dettabaya!" he shouted.

Standing on his feet he stared down the path they had fled down and a warm sensation filled up inside him. He won against the bullies. As suddenly as the realization hit him Naruto fell down, his legs giving out underneath him. With the sudden adrenaline rush gone from his body Naruto was now feeling all the aches and pain from his injuries. His chest hurt the most and wondered if something broke.

"A-are you ok?"

Naruto looked up to see the girl he had charged in to defend. The shy girl looked concerned from him as she held her arms close to her chest. Naruto wondered if she didn't know about him. It made him feel uneasy and he didn't like it. Not wanting to worry her he decided to hide his pain toughing it out. "I'm fine." He said getting up. He felt pains all over, his entire body ached. Thinking back on the fight he must have taken a few bad hits and looked pathetic doing so. Looking back at the girl he recalled his earlier pathetic clones and spoke impulsively.

"You know... I was holding back. If I wanted to I could make a strong clone for sure." he bluffed rubbing his sore cheek. Naruto wondered why he said that. He knew full well how pathetic his clones were and he didn't hold back. For his age he was weaker then most kids and lacked the nutrient intake most of them had. He continued to question his odd behavior before looking at the girl again. Noticed her lavender white eyes his mind blanked out for a second and before he even thought about it he spoke out bluntly.

"Your eyes are really pretty."

The girl blushed a heavy red not expecting the complement. "U-u-umm..." she stuttered shyly, "Th-thank you very much..."

Naruto grinned masking his internal struggle. "Don't worry bout it," he shouted as he ran off waving her goodbye as he left. He didn't like this... feeling. Twice he did and said something without knowing why. It left him feeling uneasy, vulnerable. Normally he could hide behind the happy and goofy mask he made for himself and comfort himself with thoughts of his important people. And when he was with those important people he could relax and let himself be himself. But someone he didn't know caused him to act without that mask, to be himself. This unsettled Naruto greatly as the fear of someone being able to reach him scared him greatly.

Focusing on the fight to calm his nerves Naruto concentrated on how poorly he fought. Think on what he could improve on and how to have fought better was an easy way to distract himself. Despite his clones failing he succeeded in scaring off the bullies. Even better yet it was with his poorly made paper bombs.

He really was getting stronger. If he made his clones work then he'd be really strong.

As Naruto ran he failed to notice that girl behind him call out, too shy to chase after Naruto. Naruto didn't realized that in the scuffle he had lost his red scarf which the girl now clutched to her chest. "Naruto... kun" She said softly as she watched the boy rush off recalling his brash introduction.

 **-Academy few Weeks Later-**

"Hey, hey I hear we're getting a new teacher today." Naruto whispered to Mikon. Drawing her attention away from the falling cherry blossoms outside Mikon turned to her attention to him. Ino, Naruto and Mikon were sitting in class waiting for their new home room teacher. Ino watched from the back row as she observed Mikon and Naruto both whispered and snickered, clearly discussing ways of pranking their new prey. The combined effort of Mikon and Naruto's pranks had successfully scared away three instructors from their class an while most of the girls where annoyed by them. Many of them blamed Naruto for the acts but thanks to Mikon's reputation they chose to stay clear of both them. While it was true the pranks at times disrupted the classroom Naruto really didn't care. The instructors had made clear and deliberate attempts to sabotage his efforts to become a ninja and didn't even attempt to treat him properly. The natural result was a great deal of free time. Time spent to become irritated and for Mikon to realize the injustice. The end result being obvious to anyone who cared.

"You think this new teach is gonna be like the others?" Naruto asked her wondering what her thoughts on the new instructor were.

He had long given up on the academy. While at the Academy Naruto had given up on actually learning. He wanted to learn and become strong but the constant hatred and cruelty of the instructors had killed any hopes the boy had of achieving it in the facility. Being chased out of the library to prevent him from studying, denied access to the practice grounds, being miss informed on test dates and having the teachers tell him false information or not teaching him at all were just some of the actions that killed his hopes for the Academy. Even so he used the time there to observe the other students to learn how to do stuff. The rest of the time he spent by either pranking the instructors himself or helping Mikon in doing so. When he was really down he'd focus on his fuinjustu book and hiding among the crowd of students.

"Doesn't really matter. first thing I'm gonna do is introduce them to Gamakichi!" Mikon declared.

"You know Boss Toad's going to get pissed at you again if you summon Gamakichi." Naruto countered a slightly irratated tone in his voice. Mikon picked up on this and laughed turning her head to see Ino in the back of the room.

"Still upset at Ino, Dettabane?" she asked Naruto.

Naruto grumbled as he laid his chin on the desk. He had been excited for weeks, looking forward to having classes with Ino. To his dismay however Ino had come to him the day before to talk to him.

 **-Flashback no Jutsu-**

"What do you mean don't talk to you?" Naruto shouted.

"What I mean is don't act friendly while we're at the Academy. Some of my friends are joining and I don't want them to know that I'm friends with you." Ino explained trying her best to convince him. She had made a few friends that where less then appreciative of Mikon and Naruto. One friend in particular was a girl called Sakura who after Ino brought out of her shell turned out to be quite the loud and back boned girl. Ino had spent a lot of time with her other friends and while Naruto didn't mind still missed being with her. It wasn't until a month ago that Sakura had expressed a great dislike for the Naruto and Mikon. The month there after only got worse.

Ino had talked to Mikon earlier and to her relief was completely fine with ignoring Ino. Especially since it didn't stop her from competing with Ino during their time in class.

"Who cares if they know you're friends with me, I shouldn't have to hide from them! Why do I have to stop talking with you because they think I'm a nuisance. I'm not a plague to be avoided. First off so what if they don't like me. If they're your friends too it shouldn't matter to them if you're friends with me."

"Naruto..." Ino started to reply before being cut off.

"AND IN THE FIRST PLACE FRIENDS DON'T TELL THEIR FIRENDS TO IGNORE THEM!" Naruto shouted. He had every reason to feel hurt from Ino's request. They had been the best of friends for two years and she was quite literally Naruto's closest friend aside from Mikon. For a child who had been denied the acknowledgment that his life had worth, Ino's words where an act of betrayal to him. Being told to pretend they weren't friends hurt him more then if she at flat out rejected their friendship. If she made their firendship out to be a lie then Naruto could simply look at it as just another false hope that he was so use too. However being told to act like their friendship didn't exist meant its worth mattered to her but implied that it was something shameful, something to embarrassing. It was like she confirmed the taunts that he was a plague and befriending him was something you shouldn't do.

"I know..." Ino continued. She knew just how hurt she had made Naruto feel. In their two years together she had come to be skilled at reading Naruto and understating his pain if only a little. "It's just for now I don't want to cause trouble for either of us. I'll make it up to you Naruto-kun so... please?" Ino begged. She really wanted to acknowledge Naruto as her closest friend but she didn't want to cause Naruto trouble by being associated with him. She couldn't prove it but she was certain that if Sakura learned of their relationship she would do something that would hurt him greatly. She didn't know what this feeling was but her mother said it was called 'womens intuition' or something.

Naruto looked into her eyes and knew she meant well and didn't want to ask him this. Believing in their friendship Naruto decided to agree to her wish. "Fine, but I don't have to like it. You can make it up to me by helping me with my studies when we're free." Naruto said. He didn't like it but he could tell that something was troubling Ino and that she meant well. She wasn't always to softest person but she was always kind if a bit forceful.

 **-Kai-**

"Don't worry, its not like she isn't friends with you. Knowing her she's trying to solve problems on her own. Still seriously its been like four months sense then, give Ino some slack." Mikon said trying to quell Naruto's irritation. Naruto spotted her intentions but it didn't make him feel any better. Pulling out his book he decided to practice his brush strokes. To anyone else it would look like scribbling but that was the point. Blending in with the room had become a specialty of his. And since he would be ignored anyway Naruto could relax and raise his spirits practicing in class.

"By the way, did you have any trouble making the..." Mikon started asking when the door the the class room opened interrupting her.

"Alright every take your seats, settle down."

A young looking man with a scar across the bridge of his nose walked into the room holding a folder. Walking behind the podium in front of the class he placed his folder down and grasped the sides of the podium before addressing the students in front of him.

"Good Morning. First I'll introduce myself. I'm Umino Iruka, and from today onward I will be your homeroom teacher. My favorite food is Ichiraku ramen. My least favorite food is mixed rice. My birthday is May 26th, so that makes me a Gemini." Iruka spoke introduced himself. Opening up his fold a puff of smoke burst out and a dozen toads burst out surprising the novice instructor. The boys immediately burst into laughter at the surprised victim of Mikon's prank while to girls shrieked in disgust at the sight of the toads hopping all over the place.

Naruto leaned towards Mikons and whispered to her, "Does that answer your question?" not taking his eyes way from this brush work. A small smirk adorned his features at the pranks success. Earlier Mikon had asked him to place one of his seals in the teachers attendance book so she could summoner her frogs to surprise the class. To Mikon's beaming delight, Naruto succeeded in doing so.

Picking himself up Iruka grabbed the rim of the podium his knuckles white with rage. However instead of yelling he relaxed his grip and looked straight at Mikon. "Your Mikon Umegaki, yes? I was told you could summon toads which leaves me to suspect that this is your doing. Please remove these frogs from the room. They're a disturbance for the rest of the class." He spoke clearly and calmly which surprised the class. Normally the instructors would loose themselves after being embarrassed to such a degree. Especially since most instructors where chunin and being pranked by a student was like a pimple appearing on their reputation.

As he spoke Naruto noticed the instructors voice and he felt is stomach turn. Naruto's pleasant mood from the successful prank vanished instantly. He recognized that cold indifferent tone before. But it was more then just that. As he finished speaking his gaze crossed over to Naruto's and for a split second their eyes met. As Naruto looked up into his instructor's eyes he immediately recognized the coldness reflected in them. The man looked at Naruto with the same eyes as that the rest of villagers did. Eyes that showed unrestrained disgust, as if looking at a freak or carrier of a plague.

Mikon also picked up on this. In that instant the new teacher made it on to her hit list. No one, especially not an instructor should treat Naruto as if he was a monster. In her opinion a teacher should look at every student as opportunities to success and strive to polish them all. Unsummoning her toads Mikon made an oath to make Iruka's life hell.

For the entire day Naruto watched or more accurately listened as Mikon tormented Iruka. She started with minor annoyances at first. Moving around his papers when he wasn't looking and placing a bag on a girls chair so when they sat down it would pop and make a loud bang surprising everyone. Eventually his indifference finally got to Mikon and she stopped caring about safety. As Iruka was writing on the board she had a toad place one of Naruto's firecracker tags on is pants which caused the class to laugh at the 'dance" their teacher made as it went off. A few were genuinely concerned but most figured the pranking duo wouldn't do anything dangerous or permanently harmful. Telling the class that using explosive tags was dangerous and to refraim from missusing ninja tools, Iruka went back to teaching the class. This pissed off Mikon even more as just before continuing he glared at Naruto before continuing, as if Naruto was the one responsible. Commanding the toad she summoned to spread oil on the floor she then watched as the teacher slipped and fell on his back, hitting the desk. As the class laughed Naruto looked up concerned that Mikon was getting a little too careless. If he had hit his head on the desk the wrong way she would get into serious toruble. Worse someone, most likely Iruka-sensei would get seriously hurt.

Getting back up Iruka used chakra to grip the floor ignoring the oil and continued the lesson. Mikon was practically fuming inside at him acting like nothing was happening and continued her chaos by having her toad swallow his clipboard without his noticing. It was actually surprising to Naruto how stealthy the toad was since as far as he could tell besides him no one else even noticed the toad during all these 'attacks'. Turning around to find his lessons missing Iruka showed the first signs of annoyance but quelled the irritation professionally. Turning to the class he spoke calmly and as enthusiastically as before. "Well since someone thinks it a fun idea to hide my lesson plans all of you are gonna follow me to the practice grounds." Informing the class. "Naruto stay back and clean up this mess before you join the rest of the class.

Making their way outside the class was excited to not have a lecture period. "Jeez that was awesome" one of the kids said.

"I know right, now we get to do something fun beside sitting on our butts. Maybe we'll get to practice Shurikenjutsu." another replied agreeing with the first boy.

Another boy who since entering the classroom had been eating constantly turned and spoke to them as they made their way outside. "Munch, Much… But wasn't it a little overboard? Munch… munch" The boy said eating a bag of potato chips. "Right Shikamaru?"

"Geez, Mendokuse..." the pineapple headed boy in question complained in response. Though in his head he agreed with best friend Choji, Mikon was being unusually aggressive today. Weren't some of her pranks a bit too dangerous. He was probably one of the few that noticed that she was the one doing the deeds. It amazed him how the entire class and every instructor so far all knew the two blonds to be the renown classroom pranksters yet always failed to identify the actural culprit of said pranks. While Naruto was a prankster himself he rarely did anything in class. In fact his contributions where susually just helping Mikon pull the pranks off or supplying her with the means to perform a prank. The most common method being asking a stupid question and drawing the instructors attention away from Mikon's actions. And yet the teachers and students always seemed to think it was Naruto doing the pranks which hardly seem fair since he hardly did anything. Today was even worse since Naruto didn't even do anything for most of the class and yet the teacher essentially punished him for Mikon's actions. It was all way to troublesome. "Mendokuse..." he said under his break while scratching his head. In the end Shikamaru just couldn't figure out Naruto and in the end figured it was too bothersome to do so.

"Alright is everyone here." Iruka asked make sure everyone was present as they gathered in the practice field. Seeing that Naruto arrived at the last moment Iruka continued. "In order to get to know each of you in particular I'm gonna have each of you perform an exam." A great uproar of boo's was heard from the whole class in response.

"Damnit Naruto! Thanks to you we have to take a test" a pink haired girl shouted angrily.

"Shut up Forehead girl. He didn't even do anything in class." Ino said in Naruto's defense. "Shut up Ino-pig. Everyone knows Naruto did it. Sure Mikon might have helped with the frogs but even he's not as bad as Naruto. I mean those pranks of his could have seriously hurt Sensei!" the girl continued giving an evil eye at Naruto.

Shikamaru just looked down in annoyance. The loud annoying girl essentially reinforced his belief that everyone thought Naruto was responsible for Mikon's pranks. He turned his gaze at Ino before looking down at the ground again. He was genuinely surprised by Ino's defense on the other hand. Did she really notice that Naruto didn't do anything. "Mendokuse..."

"Now now..." Iruka spoke trying to calm his students down. "Its not a graded exam. I just want to see what each of you is capable of." Iruka clarified. "Lets see lets start off with everyone's shurikenjustu."

Looking down at his students his eyes glanced over each one of them deciding who to start off with. "Lets start of with... lets see... Sasuke Uchiha." Iruka confirmed setting his gaze on the young Uchiha.

The dark haired boy in question stepped forward. "Show me what you can do." Iruka told the boy. Doing as he was told he threw five shuriken and landed them perfectly in a vertical line on the target with a single throw. As the girls cheered Naruto felt jealousy gathering in his stomach. Why was it always other people who received attention and acceptance without even trying. Despite trying his best Naruto cursed at his own hardship. Besides his Ojisan, Mikon, and Ino who acknowledge him, Naruto really hated the fact the the Uchiha was just naturally accepted without even caring.

"Nicely done. Ok who wants to go next" Iruka asked as the girls swooned over Sasuke.

His envy boiling over and his self-control hitting its limit, Naruto shot up and shouted, "I can do that just as well dettabayo." Naruto knew he was being reckless and sure he probably couldn't match the Uchiha, but he was still confident in his training. At the very least he could land three if not four. At the very least he wanted to try and show his worth even just a little.

As Naruto stepped forward he glanced at Sasuke. As they passed Naruto recalled how Sasuke had joined the class at the same time Ino and Mikon did. He couldn't stand the noble boy for practically embodying everything he desired.

"Oh stop trying to show up Sasuke-kun Naruto. You're in the way! Sakura shouted.

Naruto glanced at the girl silently as he recalled his first encounter with the pink haired girl. Ino was right to ask him to fake their friendship considering what happened. Much like Ino figured the pink haired girl was by no means friendly with him. Worse off she was completely brainwashed into believing the boy was the plague by here parents. Meeting her for the first time Naruto, thinking she looked cute, went up to great her and welcome her on her first day. His kindness was answered with a ferocious fist which landed squarely on his jaw.

It was another instance Naruto wanted to thank Ino for making him more durable. He smiled to himself at the thought.

Naruto felt blessed with meeting Mikon and Ino because if he hadn't Naruto was surely have ignored the banshee's personality and kept attempting to befriend her. Worse off he'd probably become squarely focused on her in an attempt to one up Sasuke. Thanks to his friends however Naruto wasn't socially deprived to the point of falling down that particularly dark rabbit hole.

Ignoring Sakura, Naruto could tell she had a nice personality underneath it all. Despite this he was sure he'd never see it any time soon in his youth. So he stuck to simply observing people and sticking with his friends.

"Well then show us what you can do." Iruka said ignoring the chorus of jeers coming from the girls. Naruto picked up on the fact Iruka didn't even attempt to stop them from jeering at him. Just another teacher, just like the rest. His heart cringed as this thought crossed his mind.

Stepping up he prepped his shuriken and aimed at the target. Throwing his shuriken he released them at the target. Unfortunately four or them went off in random directions while on landed in the tree next to Iruka's face. The entire class roared in laughter except for three. Naruto wasn't paying attention to that however. He was too busy looking at his hands. What the hell happened he wasn't that bad and why did he feel...? Realization hit him as he recalled the new seal he had found and was toying around with.

"Sorry Sensei that was a... joke, One more time?" He asked trying to laugh off his mistake. Though it appeared to only make matters worse. Iruka's eyes grew hollow as he staired at Naruto. "No that's enough. Alright who's next?" He asked the class, ignoring Naruto all together. Naruto's though choked up. Balling his fist he went back into the crowd almost instantly blending in perfectly.

For Naruto the rest of the lesson went pretty much as he expected. During Taijutsu he ended up paired against Sasuke who in his usual smug character looked down on Naruto. Naruto was thoroughly beaten down which gain enormous cheers from the girls while to boys laughed at Naruto. It was at this point that both Mikon and Ino realized something was wrong. Because they trained with Naruto the two knew what to expect and could see his odd behavior. Naruto was acting slower and more sluggish then usual. His normal strong punches and fast reflexes where practically nonexistent during the match. Something was clearly wrong with him.

Following that was a lecture on strategy. One question Iruka asked was a scenario with the intention of promoting problem solving a difficult situations. The situation was that their teams needed to escape with important documents while being chased by five enemy ninja squads all of which had their respective squads in their sights and couldn't be fought without loosing the documents. Knowing he'd be ignored completely, Naruto told his answer to Ino stealthily. The idea of using bunshin no jutsu in tandem with a genjutsu to miss lead the enemy while transforming into a rock or some foliage to hide and retreat from combat was complemented by Iruka. Ino was even given full credit and praise, even receiving an acknowledging smirk from Sasuke. This smirk was all it took for her to forget the guilt she felt at answering the question that she didn't have an answer too.

The only highlight for Naruto's day was when they did the Bunshin no Jutsu. His clones where horrendous as usual but he realized that it wasn't his control over chakra that was his problem but the ammound. Ironically it was the new seal that made him fail earlier at shuriken and taijutsu practice that helped him figure this out.

Pulling at the collar of his shirt he looked at his chest where a new seal that looked like six interlocking links formed a triangle was etched onto his chest. The seal was a simple but high level restriction jutsu that could be used for training. It added resistance to any action the person took and then helped heal the body while they rested. The seal would accelerate the breaking down and building up process that made up gaining muscle mass. An added bonus was it also stimulated and increased nerve response so when a person removed the seal they would have faster reflexes as well.

The problem was the latter, getting it off. With Jiraiya gone, Naruto found himself stuck with the seal until he returned from his mission. He placed it on himself after learning the advance Fuinjustu to see if it worked. When it did Naruto was ecstatic. Succeeding in placing it was a real moral booster up until he realized he couldn't remove the new seal. Now he was stuck with unpredictable reflexes and response times.

Even worse is that with ever step of progress he made the seal would expand and increase its hindering effects until, A: Jiraiya removed it for him, B: Naruto mastered fuinjutsu to remove it himself, or C: he pushed the seal to the limit where it covered his whole body and disappeared on its own. To do that however required Naruto to push his body past its limits several times and to reach milestones in his training. That wasn't going to happen any time soon either.

With class over Naruto got up to go practice seeing it as the best option. If he was gonna be stuck with the new seal he might as well make use of it. No reason to get down on himself for making a mistake.

As he made his way outside he saw a group of boys talking. Spotted Mikon's toad spying on them from the grass he pasued to observe. As the he watched the toad hoping its way over to Mikon it plopped itself on her head.

"Hey Naruto! Crazy day huh. That Sensei was a real jerk." Mikon declared as she walked up next to Naruto.

Naruto looked down in pain. It wasn't unusual for teachers to hate him but it was the first time he was downright ignored even when he wasn't in the wrong. For some reason the hollow look in Iruka's eyes hurt more then usual two. He didn't understand why but it just did. Mikon seemed to understand his pain as she told him, "You know sorry about today, I got you into a lot of trouble and I didn't stand up for you. I'm really sorry."

Mikon bowed nearly throwing the green toad off her head.

"It's fine, the toads you left behind really helped clean up the mess and it's not like I wasn't in on the pranks. Besides they really made my day when they succeeded." Naruto reassured her. Even if he was the one in trouble, Mikon's over the top pranks where a sign that she cared about Naruto and that made him really happy. Even if they ended up more like aggressive attacks directed at the new instructor.

Mikon smiled happily in response. "In that case, I got some juicy intel. Those guys are gonna go on a test of courage tonight. It be perfect chance to have an awesome prank. You know scare the crap out of them." Mikon giggled mischievously. Naruto didn't even need to think about it. He really could use a good laugh and a midnight scare prank was the perfect chance to raise his spirits. He even had the perfect idea to do it too.

"Sounds good, I got an idea for the prank. Can you somehow get a bunch of alcohol and a fox mask for me?" Naruto asked knowing that if he tried to buy it himself the villagers would give him trouble.

Mikon looked at him puzzled but smiled a sinister grin. "You got it boss. This is gonna be great. Whatever you have a prank idea its always epic. Especially when you don't want to get caught." she snickered.

"By the way..." she started dagging out her words teasingly. "What was up with today's practice. You're usually really good a Shurikenjustu. Yet today... I mean you mess up sometimes but that was waaaaay past messing up." Mikon asked in concern. Naruto realized he had yet to tell Mikon or Ino about his new training seal. He was kinda embarrassed at his inability to remove it so he subconsciously forgot to tell them about it.

"Yeah, that was because of this." he pulled his shirt down a bit so she could see the seal. "I placed it on myself the day a few days ago. Its a training seal that hinders movement to train muscles and reflexes. I kinda forgot about it when Sasuke-teme annoyed me" Naruto explained. "I also kinda, sorta, can't remove it so... ya." He continued sheepishly.

"You two know that people would talk if they say a girl looking down a guy shirt right?" A girls voice shouted surprising the two of them.

"Hey Ino-chan, I thought you went out with your friends?" Naruto greeted as Ino walked inbetween the two. Naruto was surprised at how his voice lack any ill will considering his feelings early in the morning. "What do you mean by that, I am going out with my friends can't you tell" She retorted feeling insulted.

"You know that's not what he meant Ino, and it is your fault. What with the whole don't associate with me deal" Mikon countered. Ino cringed knowing that Mikon was right even if she didn't like it.

"I know but it's just… Sakura has this thing about Naruto and everyone else is getting in on it too. I don't want to lose their friendship but I don't think…" she reflect before being interupted by Mikon.

"At least be honest dettabane! From what I heard your clan's putting pressure on you to associate less with me and Naruto and your parents even caved in."

Ino turned to look at Mikon in shock. How did she learn about that? "What's with that face, I got people and toads everywhere in this village. You're not the only one with a gossip network in this village" Mikon sneered as she enjoyed the look on Ino's face.

"Thats enough Mikon-chan!" Naruto shouted surprising the both of them. "Ino-chan has her reasons. As far as I'm concerned, the way we act as if we aren't associated with each other is simply training for stealth and infiltration missions. I don't want to cause any trouble for Ino and I don't want to lose our friendship so this works for both of us." Dispite saying this Naruto wasn't surprised that even Ino's parents caved in. He didn't blame them for it. In fact he was glad since he didn't want to be the source of trouble for them.

Naruto meant every word though as he finished shouting. While it did hurt to distance himself he knew that it wouldn't be fair for him to selfishly drag Ino down socially. He was causing problems for her family and her and he'd rather not be friends if meant hurt them. They were always nice to him; Even if they didn't show it publicly Naruto knew they cared.

Ino was ready to burst into tears. Jumping him she embraced him in a huge hug. "Naruto your the best friend anyone could ask for."

"I-Ino…chan… choking me…" Naruto weezed out unable to breath.

"Sorry." Ino replied releasing him while still bearing a huge grin. She really did like Naruto the best. As a friend there was no one sweeter or kinder then him. As she stared at him trying to catch his breath a though resonated in the back of her mind. If she had to chose between him and everyone else… who would she chose?

This thought that crept into Ino's mind began to haunt her. What would she do? She had a crush on Sasuke and even though the fought and argued a lot she did like being with Sakura and her other friends. Would she be able to chose her closest friend over everyone else?

"Ino-chan!"

Naruto's shout broke her of her thoughts, "What, sorry I wasn't paying attention." She apologized. The fact that she didn't know the answer scared her. For now she ignored it and focused on her friends.

Mikon snikered, "We were asking if you wanted to join us in a little prank."

Ino stared at her incredulously. "You mean like those dangerous ones you pulled today? I know that was all you. Naruto-kun might have helped but I know you were the mastermind and orchestrator of those pranks." As she criticized Mikon for her reckless actions in class, Naruto stepped in.

"No I came up with this one. A group of boys are going to have a test or courage and I thought we could give them a scare." He confirmed.

"Wait, you mean that group of boys always laughing mockingly at you?" Ino asked.

"The very same," Mikon said with a grin "you in?"

Ino smiled at the thought of getting back at them for making fun of Naruto. "Oh I am so in. What's the plan?" Ino asked.

Naruto told Ino and Mikon his idea and as he explained it the two girls smiles grew more sinister and evil. That night those boys were gonna need a new pair of pants for what Naruto had in mind.

 **-'The Hill'-**

In the forest behind the village a single masked figure dashed though the woods searching for something. Approaching a cliff the figure stopped their search and looked out through the forest from the branch she stopped on.

"She's late" A masked figure spoke, "She must have gotten caught by those pathetic treehuggers."

The masked figure stood on a tree branch removing her mask to reveal a middle-aged women's face with greenish grey hair. Looking for any sign of her teammate she moved from branch to branch.

"Any sign of her?"

Turning to face two more shinobi wearing the same grey chest protector and black uniform that the figure wore, waited for an answer. The two new arrivals shook their heads.

"No sign as of yet. Geez, that women better have a good excuse when we find her for being late. Come on. If we could just get those documents then we can finally finish and be done with this mission." The mask figure complained.

Disappearing into the darkness the trio contained their search as the sun began to set into the night.

* * *

 **Wish me luck Next two weeks are a doozy with Exams and Job Evaluations coming up. At this point my summers are looking vacant and open sooooo... yeah look forward to the next chapters and maybe some extra chapters if I work fast enough.**

 **P.S. if it sucks its because I'm not getting alot of feedback here. Thumbs-up HintHint Review +best**


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER::** I do not own Naruto or any of the Characters associated with it. For that matter I don't own and Anime characters or Manga works which I find just sad. And so I am just writing a Fanfiction... god I'm lonely.

Enjoy Chapter 4 and my lonely efforts.

* * *

 **Chapter 4 :: A Bunshin for Ones Efforts**

In the middle of the night in Konoha's cemetery, a group of boys where gathered in waiting just outside the cemetery gate. Throughout the night the group of boys enter the cemetery one right after the other to prove their bravery in a test of courage. Each in turn had fled terrified of the paranormal events that head befallen each in turn. Waiting for their friend's return, the three boys who failed waited to see if their last friend was courageous enough to succeed before their leader took his turn. The leader of the boys wearing a light grayish blue sock hat held a paper lantern as his friends coward behind him terrified.

Each in turn claimed to have been possessed, been manipulated by poltergeist, and one even swore he glimpsed a demon. Hibachi, their self-instated leader found himself becoming increasingly irritated at how pathetic his friends were. The sudden scream from the last of his gang didn't help his irritability either.

"Awwwww!"

The boys looked toward the entrance as the friend ran screaming his head off.

"Man, you're all a bunch of sissies. None of you could even make it all the way? Pathetic." Hibachi shouted. It was his turn and he had enough of seeing his friends run away like weak cowards.

"Don't say that Hibachi. There's..." one of the terrified boys said trying to justify himself and the others. Hibachi wouldn't have any of it thought.

"Then, I guess I'll have to show you how it's done." Hibachi interrupted. He didn't believe his friends warnings that an actual demon was haunting the cemetery that night. Besides there was a full moon, if anything appeared he'd be able to see it no problem.

Walking past his friends with gusto he entered the cemetery.

Despite being well lit by the moon it was still fairly creepy and the boy's bravado vanished quickly, replace by trembling legs and chattering teeth. "cheh... t-this is easy, no problem" he said trying to raise his confidence. Making his way to the Will of Fire monument he spotted a set of used incense sticks. "I'll bring one of those back and get out of here. Heh, So much for the so called demon." he laughed to himself.

Almost reaching the Statue he suddenly found himself coming to. Somehow he ended up laying on the ground in the center of the cemetery. The sudden shift in location caught him off guard. "What the hell! How did I…" he started saying before cutting himself off mid sentence. Getting back to his feet he quickly pushed the thoughts of possession and ghosts out of his mind. Making his way back to the monument he found himself again relocated this time near the forest trees. Again, and again, he approached the monument only to end up laying on the ground in a random location within the cemetery. If he wasn't scared before he was now.

"W-what t-the h-hell is g-going on!?" he screamed, his voice trembling as he searched desperately for an answer. His legs trembled under him as he stood in the center of the cemetery.

"LeA...Ow..." A voice echoed through the cemetery. Instantly Hibachi froze not daring to move and inch.

"LeAve nOw!" the voice repeated. Hibachi turned to face the source of the voice. No longer was he hiding his fear as he turned to face the 'demon' his gang warned him of.

Hibachi felt like he might wet himself as he looked at the top of the cemetery monument. On top of the monument a dark figure with the face of a fox and nine tail like appendages flowing outward. The demon stood silently staring blankly.

As it jumped off the monument, Hibachi watched in utter fear as it descended to the ground. As it touched the ground it burst suddenly into flames. Frozen in terror Hibach watched as the nine tails waved menacingly behind it the flames engulfing its entire body. The flaming demon charged at the boy. To Hibachi's eyes however the monster had suddenly teleported in front of him, closing the distance instantly.

"LEAVE!" it snarled mere feet away from the boy as it continued its advance.

The last refinements of reason and bravado left the boy as he lost control of his bladder. The boy screamed his life away as he ran for dear life. Hearing their leader's cry, his friends come to help only to see the flaming demon chasing him. In synchronized form they too ran as they screamed for dear life.

"It's a Demon FOX!"

"Run for your lives!"

"Its after us!"

"I don't want to die!"

The four boys screamed as the demon chased them out of the cemetery. As the boys fled the flaming demon stopped short of the cemetery archway. Listening to their cries echo out of audible range the flaming demon took of its hood and mask as the brilliant flames where extinguished by a giant orange frog spewing water on him.

From underneath the quenched flames a wild frenzy of blond hair popped out. "Thanks Gama, I owe ya one." Naruto thanked, tossing his mask aside to squeeze the water out of the cloak the large toad had generously extinguished.

"Gyahahaha! That was awesome Naruto! Did you see them piss themselves? Gyahaha. That was totally awesome! Gyahaha-Oww… there goes my gut." Mikon laughed out, clutching her sides in pain. Turning his head Naruto smiled to see Mikon and Ino coming out of the bushes into the clearing. Ino who was also trying not to laugh was finding it increasingly difficult not to do so. She didn't think she could have so much fun messing with people and felt a small amount of shame doing so.

"I gotta admit that was terrifying Naruto-kun. You could have actually passed as the Kyuubi just now." Ino complemented giving in to her more mischievous side. She wouldn't say it outright but this was one of the most exciting moments of her life. Staying out late, pranking some annoying classmates with her friends. She was having the time of her life right now. Even if she was technically misusing her family jutsu to do so.

"Hehehe. You know, you know. It wouldn't have worked so well without the two of you." Naruto cheered in. "If not for Miko-chan I wouldn't be able to have gotten the stuff to pull it off and I couldn't have extinguished myself without the help of Gama." A loud croak of appreciation from Gama was heard by all before the toad disappeared in a puff of smoke, its job done. Naruto felt grateful for the toads help and felt happy that it acknowledgment his gratitude. It was still a foreign feeling for Naruto, being acknowledged for his praise. Normally he would be ignored or snickered at. It felt weird but he liked it. Turning his grin onto Ino he continued speaking.

"And it certainly wouldn't have worked as well without Ino-chan's help. You where totally cool with your Shintenshin no Jutsu **.** I couldn't have pulled of such a perfect set up for the scare without you. I think only one of the guy even guessed that they were being possessed. They were totally scared with that alone. Thanks to you I didn't even get to appear until the last one came. You were totally awesome Ino-chan, Dettabayo!"

J/N: (Mind Transfer Jutsu)

Ino blushed at the praise looking away from his illuminating megawatt smile. She felt a bit ashamed that Naruto could smile at her like that even after she told him to not associate with her in class. She knew it wasn't intentional but Naruto's genuine smile made her feel more guilt now then when he was upset. "We should pack up. If I stay out any later my parents will really lay it on me." She said shyly. She didn't want the continue feeling guilty and so rushed back into the bushes to get her stuff. The strange behavior left Naruto slightly confused and Mikon giggling at his confusion.

"Wait Ino, I'll help you pick up." Mikon called out chasing after her. She was not passing up the chance to make fun of her mental state and left Naruto behind. Naruto decided to go along with Ino and Mikon and call it a night. Since the boys where definitely not coming back they might as well go home for the night. Picking up his fox mask and putting it back on he started gathering this damp cloak which still smelled of alcohol. He had to remember to thank Mikon for buying the alcohol, cloak and mask for his prank.

Using a mixture of fifty percent water and alcohol he created his fiery mantle. By cutting it into strips and using a belt he created a mane and nine tails that would light up on fire and float in the rising heat from the cape. Using a small makeshift paper bomb on the ground to lite the mantle on fire and the fox mask Naruto managed to give himself the appearance of the demon fox, the Kyuubi.

Naruto had heard of how it was one of the most terrifying monsters of all time from the villager's whispering. Judging from his victim's reactions it was the perfect appearance for scaring others. With Ino's help he moved the kids around to confuse and scare them so when he appeared they'd be terrified out of their minds. His prank worked perfectly and they did it together. Nothing could possibly ruin this moment the three of them created. A moment Naruto felt he would remember forever.

Suddenly he saw an adult rush into the cemetery. Recognizing the standard chunin flak jacket knew it was a shinobi. As the shinobi approached closer, too Naruto's surprise it was Iruka. Dropping the thoughts of being glared at out of his worries decided he didn't have to worry as much about being scolded. Seeing Naruto Iruka jumped back and took a defensive posture, ready for combat not recognizing it was Naruto.

"Iruka-sensei! Are you here for the test of courage?" Naruto asked still drunk on the rush of endorphins in his system and no longer worried it was some other Shinobi.

Iruka stood there confused. He had heard the gang of boys screaming and rushed to the site expecting the Kyuubi to be attacking. To his shock it was just Naruto dressed up with a fox mask.

"Too bad, you're to late! Everyone got scared and ran away! They really thought a demon was after them hehe" Naruto said with a large grin. Iruka's face turned grim like he was recalling something nightmarish from his past.

"Sensei? Whats wrong?" Naruto asked. This was his best prank yet. It was perfect. He pranked the other kids, no one got hurt, and his closest friends helped and they had fun. So why did Iruka-sensei look so distressed. Naruto wasn't trying to harm anyone and the other kids where fine if not scared shitless.

Naruto's question awoke Iruka from his painful memories of the Kyuubi. Iruka looked at Naruto for a moment with a cold and dark gaze.

"Do you know what you've done." he asked coldly with not a hint of emotion in his words.

Naruto looked into his sensei's eyes and all his cheer vanished. It was instantly replaced with a sense pain. It was that glare, those accursed eyes again. Those damn stare. Everyone, every adult looked at him with those eyes, like he wasn't even human. Looking at him like he was some kind of bomb that would kill everyone, eyes fill with hate and fear. Eyes that ignored his existence and looked at him like he was some kind of thing... like some kind of demon.

"What? Why? Why does everyone look at me like that? Why does even my own sensei look at me like that!?" Naruto screamed. Iruka stepped back in surprise. For a moment Iruka had overlapped the Fox's image in Naruto and was brought back to reality by Naruto's outburst. Even more so he was surprised at himself for overlapping the boy with the demon fox's image.

"I'm not an annoyance and I'm not vermin! I'm not a disease and I'm not a monster! I'm… I'm… I'm Uzumaki Naruto damn it!" He continued shouting out as all of his built up pain flooded out.

Neither noticed Ino and Mikon rushing over to see what was happening. At first they though Naruto might have caught on fire from his cape when he suddenly started shouting. But they then realized that Iruka-sensei was standing their and Naruto was yelling at him. This realization left both girls more confused however. Why was Naruto shouting at their sensei.

"It's Iruka-sensei, why's sensei here?" Ino asked.

"Is that a kunai? Is sensei attacking Naruto!?" Mikon shouted making the jump in logic at seeing the sharp blade in Iruka's hand.

While Ino couldn't believe their sensei would attack Naruto, Mikon knew to suspect otherwise. She had seen plenty of attempts on Naruto's life and knew all to well what the villagers were willing to do pretty much anything to hurt him. The Academy while safer was also not exempt. More then once she caught an instructor called Mizuki instruct Naruto to perform taijutsu moves that would do Naruto serious harm when performed. All with a smile on his face.

Both rushed as fast as they could to see what the problem was. Mikon less so as she ran worried for Naruto's well-being.

"Naruto-kun are you okay?" both shouted in unison.

Observing the situation Mikon readied herself to defend Naruto if needed, not trusting Iruka. Glancing at Ino she knew that if Iruka attacked Naruto she'd would be the only one not caught surprised by it and would be the only person who could save Naruto. Cutting her hand with her bracelet she readied herself to use the Summoning Jutsu for combat ignoring the small flow of blood dripping down her hand.

Neither Iruka or Naruto heard the two nor noticed their approach. Both were currently stuck in their respective thoughts. Iruka trying to grasp the emotion and pain in Naruto's eyes which contradicted the expectations he had been brought to expect from what his fellow instructors had advised him of when dealing with the boy.

Naruto however was recalling every moment of suffering and pain in his life. While he might be dense he wasn't deaf, nor blind. After years of neglect and sabotage, Naruto had made copying others to learn into an art-form. The skill was no sharingan but it was a skill that allowed him to learn things a bit more accurately then he otherwise would have learned blindly. He could see when he was taught wrong and heard the whispers behind his back. While he might have learned the lessons or skills it allowed him to know when he was being lied too.

Even with friends and family behind him the small pains combined with the knowledge that he was being lied to constantly over the years had become too much as it all came crashing into him with Iruka's stare. Naruto Uzumaki had finally reached a breaking point.

"That's it. I'm done with the academy, I'm never going back!" Naruto shouted. He had had enough. What hope was there if a brand new instructor was just as bad as the old ones. If he was gonna be a ninja he'd have to rely on his own skills and abilities. He'd have to learn them by himself.

Running off Naruto left behind a disgruntled Iruka and worried Ino. Mikon while glad she didn't have to fight a chunin and her sensei at that, was on the verge of attacking Iruka anyway as she saw the emotions on Naruto's fleeing face. As Ino and Iruka watched Naruto run she saw Iruka's eyes and struggled to contain her anger as they showed confusion in his mind.

"Naruto!" Ino shouted chasing after him. She didn't know what was wrong but her intuition screamed at her to give chase. Meanwhile Mikon had other plans as her own emotions stared to flare dangerously.

Mikon eyed the kunai Iruka was holding and the looked back into his eyes. How could a teacher be willing to attack a student? How can he look at Naruto with those accursed eyes when he hardly did anything wrong and then be confused by his reaction. Sure he was a prankster but not once was anyone harmed by his pranks. Thinking along those lines even then it didn't make any sense to draw out a kunai as punishment.

As her thoughts perpetuated the question of how everyone could hate Naruto, her rage identified the nearest culprit and made Iruka out to be the cause.

Her fury, now directed at Iruka, Mikon's eyes glowed a bright turquoise light. Heat radiated from her body as a similarly turquoise chakra flared around her.

Iruka was snapped from his state of distress and looked at Mikon. Sweat gathered on his brow as he watched the girls chakra leak violently from her body giving her an ethereal glow.

"Is that c-chakra?" Iruka asked in whispered shock. The girls chakra was actually visible. How is that possible? Did she really have that much chakra that it was visible. He could feel it radiating heat, burning his skin. Impossible... her chakra was giving off heat.

"Sensei… " Mikon growled in a murderous tone. Rage and anger boiled out from within her. "If anything so much as happens to Naruto" she continued pausing as she tried to gain control of her emotions. This pause cause Iruka to relapse into memories of that horrific night. Mikon was releasing a killing intent that rivaled the intent haunted his dreams for years. "Just what is going on?" he thought to himself.

Mikon hissed, giving a glare that sent chills down Iruka's spine. Her following words sounded like a promise from hell more then that of a six year old girl.

" **I'm going to kill you.** "

Turning around she chased after Naruto to give him any support she could give him. She knew if she stayed any longer she might actually make a truth out of her words.

Iruka stood there reflecting on everything that just happened, his thoughts a jumbled mess. "Was he wrong to listen to the other instructors and ignore Naruto's mischief? Why was Ino here along with Mikon? And what exactly was Mikon? No child could have such potent chakra her age that could cause it to be visible. And the fact it felt like it was burning his skin... how was that even possible." Iruka stopped his thoughts abruptly as he fell to the ground. His body was still trembling. He noticed he was still holding his kunai and recalled Naruto's expression of sorrow and pain.

"Damn it… "

 **-Naruto's Secret Training Ground-**

Naruto sat under the cavity of the large tree the trio used for practicing taijutsu. Normally the trunk was covered with a thick futon mat for safety but it also doubled as camouflage.

The cavity in the tree was large enough for three kids to fit in with ample space to fool around and still have room for supplies. Food, comics, equipment, and a few well hidden romance novels were stored in the back of the 'secret-base'. Ino had brought the romance novels in an attempted to get Mikon to like something she liked. Not unsuspectingly, Mikon true to form, disliked them much like everything else Ino liked. Naruto would never admit it but he liked reading them and hid a few away before Mikon attempted to purge them from their secret hideaway. A brief smile appeared as Naruto recalled Ino's less then please reaction to Mikon burning her treasured books.

Naruto, Ino and Mikon used the cavity to take shelter from the rain or simply to hide when training in the woods went a bit longer then planned. When hiding it was usually from a drunk Jiraiya. None of them liked the smell of booze so it was the perfect hiding place when he returned from where ever he got the booze from.

No one but the three of them knew about this secret base of theirs. It also served as a perfect place to hide in when they performed particularly successful pranks on the village. The best part was if the legendary sannin couldn't find it then no one except maybe the Hokage could or so was their line of thought. This perfect hideaway was the very reason Naruto chose to hide there.

Crying alone, Naruto clutched his legs as he replayed Iruka's words and gaze in his head. He didn't stop with just Iruka though. Naruto thought about everyone in the village. Why did everyone look at him like that? "D-damn it… " Naruto whimpered.

"Found you… Na-ru-to-kun." Ino said in a sing song voice. Peering into the cavity she looked into his eyes. She could see the pain and suffering in them and she felt her heart being crushed, but hid it behind her smile. Crawling inside she maneuver behind Naruto. Wrapping her arms around him she held him in her embrace. "I'm sorry Naruto, I shouldn't have pushed you away. Please Naruto, don't leave the academy. We're gonna be awesome shinobi right... together... right?"

Ino spoke unsure if she even had a right to cheer him up. Sure she might not have known just how bad things where in the academy but she still felt responsible for hurting Naruto by distancing herself form him. Even though the situation wasn't her fault she felt that she contributed to it somehow. In some way she felt like she betrayed Naruto and that thought was currently eating away at her.

Naruto however felt comfort in her embrace and cried into it. "Yeah... w-we're gonna be awesome together." Naruto whimpered with a false cheer in his voice. "But no matter how hard I try I just can't do anything right." he cried. No matter what he did everyone would hate him even though he never warranted it.

"Sure you can..." Ino interjected. Trying to comfort him was turning out to be more difficult then she remembered. Normally a single line of confidence was all it took for him to bounce back to his usual self. She hadn't seen him like this since they first met and she didn't like seeing him like this. She wanted the happy cheerful Naruto that had complemented her only minutes earlier.

"I can't even do a proper bunshin!" Naruto countered taking the opportunity to argue when Ino fell silent. "Even sensei looks at me like I'm useless. Like I'm a joke."

"Then all we gotta do is find you a bunshin jutsu that you can do." Mikon said appearing out of nowhere. "There are tons of bunshin jutsu out there. I've even seen Jiiji fight against some of them myself. We just need to find one you can do.

Or are you planning on giving up and proving them right?" Mikon taunted in a mock teasing voice.

Calming down enough to look at Ino and Mikon, Naruto let a smile grace his face momentarily. "Not in a million years, dettaboya." he said weakly. No way was he just gonna give up. Not with Ino and Mikon supporting him. "If there is a chance of success I'll take it. I'll do it, I'll master the bunshin jutsu and prove to everyone that you guys are right. That I can do it." He stated with renewed confidence.

Mikon got up and summoned Gama. Climbing onto the toad's back she turned to Naruto and Ino. "That's more like it, Dettabane!" I know the Older-jiji has a few secret scrolls lying around. I'm sure one of them has a bunshin jutsu that you can use. I'll go find and grab one so you can practice it. Ino, I'm leaving Naruto in your care. Don't you let anyone hurt him while I'm gone, dettabane." Mikon instructed. Her tone was so serious that even Mikon herself could not believe that she could be so serious. Saluting Ino the two acknowledged their roles in the plan as Mikon mentally declared Get Naruto Confidence and Cheery Attitude Back Operation a go.

Ino nodded, "You got it, come back soon." she replied. I don't like seeing Naruto upset so hurry up she thought to herself.

"Roger that!" Mikon replied saluting again Mikon and Gama disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Hugging Naruto closer Ino continued to comfort him as rain started to fall. That night the light rain fell as its droplets played a lullaby. Slowly the two fell asleep under the tree, Naruto enclosed in her embrace as tears of joy creeped out of his eyes as they both fell asleep.

 **-Hokage Mansion-**

In a puff of smoke Gama appeared out of nowhere. Quickly she jumped out of Gama's mouth she thanked him for the lift. It always felt weird to her traveling through the summoning jutsu inside Gama but she couldn't deny it was efficient.

Looking around she rushed into the shadows all the while making sure she wasn't spotted. Thankfully for her and not so much for her targets, Mikon had learned infiltration from Konoha's very own master. Aside from the elite, if she didn't want to be found she wouldn't be.

Looking at the Mansion she knew she would only have on shot at this. If any ANBU caught her she knew she'd be in big trouble. More so if she was caught with a secret scroll in tow. Sneaking into the Hokage Mansion wasn't like sneaking into the academy library. For one the library wasn't guarded by Elite shinobi hand picked by the Hokage.

Mikon snickered in silence. Thinking about the Hokage she thought of Naruto. She found it funny that Naruto's dream was to be the strongest most respected shinobi yet he didn't even realize that meant in the end he wanted to be Hokage. Shaking the unnecessary thoughts out of her head she cleared her mind in preparation for her biggest infiltration yet. If she succeeded and anyone found out, Konoha's elites would be the laughing stock of the village. It would be good material to use on them should they go against Naruto like everyone else did.

"Hope Jiji's jutsu works. If it does, he'll be so surprised when he returns." She thought in silence. Forming her hand signs she quietly shouted to calm her nerves, "Here we go! **Tōton no Jutsu** "

J/N: (Transparency Escape Jutsu)

At first nothing happened but slowly Mikon became transparent. After a minute passed she was completely invisible. Sneaking into the building she progressed slowly. Making little to no movements. Only progressing mere inches at a time. Within a single minute she had only moved three meters. She knew she wasn't as skilled with Transparency Jutsu as Jiraiya. She wouldn't risk being reckless and moving slowly would prevent anyone from detecting her, hopefully.

Naruto was counting on her and she wasn't going to fail him. Even if it took hours she wasn't about to mess it up by rushing. After an hour or two of sluggishly slow progress Mikon had somehow made here way to the archives within the Mansion. In her mind Mikon figured she would later tell the Hokage to not design the building so that it was so easy to read. On her first try she found the archives and considering her ability to get things done right the first time, just made her feel sad at how easy it was.

No sooner did she think that did she curse herself for jumping the gun and getting excited. The door was lock with a seal so complex that Mikon couldn't make heads or tales of it. Was it a lock, a security function, a barrier? Mikon was now starting to worry as her thoughts tried to figure a way pass the impassable roadblock.

"Damn it, Dettabane… " she cursed under her breath. If she forced her way in there was no way she'd be able to find a Jutsu undetected let along get out undetected. She contemplated what to do when one of the Hokage's assistants and loyal shinobi walked up to the door right past her. "Thank you so much band-aid guy, I owe you one." she thought as he opened the sealed door allowing her to slip in behind him. As if to make her slipping past him easier, Kotetsu sneezed at that exact moment turning his head to avoid sneezing on the items he was carrying.

Placing down the books he was carrying he let out a sigh of exhaustion. He placed the books on a desk that was covered in book and scrolls. Mikon wondered if this was where all the finished and useless paperwork went when the Hokage was done with them.

Wiping the sweat off his brow the shinobi said to himself, "Finally, that's the last of them. Now I can go home and get some rest."

Leaving he closed the door and sealed it leaving behind a room full of records, scrolls, and secret jutsu along with one very lucky and ecstatic Mikon.

Looking around the room she saw scrolls and books of all sizes and numbers. Staring around she didn't know where to begin. At least that would have been the case had she not seen one scroll in particular. "WOW, that scrolls even bigger then the one Ero-jiji carries... well maybe its bigger. There has gotta be some awesome jutsu in that one."

Opening the scroll she rolled it out and the smile she wore would give Naruto a run for his money.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Wow, right off the bat and I already found one. I am so awesome. Better copy it down while I can." she muttered aloud pulling out a roll of scrolls. Immediately she started copying the contents of the scroll.

She figured it be better to copy it down then to steal the whole scroll for someone else to find missing. Still glad she had some left over scrolls on hand Mikon figured the less evidence of someone infiltrating the better of she would be. Finishing copying the basics of the jutsu Mikon placed the scroll back and prepared to see what else she could find.

For the entire night Mikon searched scroll after scroll for any bunshin jutsu that Naruto could try to master. As morning light touched the village Mikon fell on her back in frustration. "Come on Older-jiji. You got a thousand scrolls and the only bunshin jutsu you have in here is that damn shadow clone jutsu, what the hell dettabane!" She shouted in exasperation.

"Who's there?" a voice called from beyond the door. Mikon jumped to her feet cursing herself. So much for patience and keeping quiet. In her moment of frustration she let slip her mind that she was still in the Hokage Mansion under an infiltration and stealth directive.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! Me and my big mouth." She muttered. As quickly as she could she cleaned up the mess and quickly cast her transparency jutsu. Forming her hand seals Mikon fading from view just as the door opened. What appeared to be a man walked in clearly to investigate Mikon's slip of the tongue. With a dog mask on Mikon figured it was an ANBU and cursed again as the man scanned the room.

"Damn it, I just had to attract the bloody ANBU didn't I." She screamed to herself.

Not moving an inch she held her breath as the ANBU looked around to find the source of the voice he heard.

As carefully as she could, slowly she made her way inch by inch to the door. Mikon's heart was pounding faster then it ever had before. She wasn't sure what would happen if she was caught. NO! She couldn't fail. Naruto was in need of her support and she had a bunshin jutsu in her pocket with his name on it. She would not fail. Looking around she looked for anything that could aid her in her escape. It was then she saw the Large Scroll that had the Shadow Clone Jutsu in it.

Taking a risk, she moved her hand over to the large scroll and placed it on it. If she could get the ANBU to panic and leave she could make her way out right under his nose.

"Come on, Come on. This damn jutsu…" She screamed in her head. Her head was pounding but she didn't care. Pouring all her focus into her jutsu slowly the Scroll began to disappear under the Transparency Escape Jutsu's effects.

"Yes! I knew it would work, Dettabane!" she joyously screamed in her head almost forgetting not to shout it. She could just start jumping up and down in excitement as her gamble beginning to work.

Figuring if the transparency jutsu effected her cloths, then it should be able to effect objects she was in contact with she attempted to make it look like the scroll was stolen.

She couldn't have known, since she secretly practiced the jutsu on her own without Jiraiya's guidance, but at that moment she was pulling off an extremely advance application of the Transparency Escape Jutsu without even knowing it. After a few seconds the scroll had completely disappeared.

"What the!?" the ANBU shouted. A few seconds earlier the ANBU had turned around 'he' would have noticed the scroll vanishing but as luck would have it he turned around too late. All that was left was to anyone's eyes an empty cabinet where the Forbidden Scroll once was held.

"I must alert the Hokage at once!" He shouted as he vanished in a whirlwind of leaves.

Removing her hand from the scroll she clutched her aching head as the scroll re-materialized into view. With the door still wide open Mikon slowly made her way through the complex. Everyone was on high alert for the suspected 'thief' of the Scroll of Sealing which made moving difficult for Mikon. Having to stay out of their way with barely any speed to dodge less she broke the jutsu or be spotted by someone skilled was anything but easy. It was a miracle of miracles that she managed to make it out undetected. In hindsight she wondered if she should be proud of depressed that she managed to get away unseen.

An even greater boon to her luck was that from what she heard as she left the ANBU found the 'thief' who fled from the scene. With the ANBU themselves giving chase the pressure on Mikon being found was lessened. Since everyone thought the thief was someone else, somewhere else, no one thought to think that the real culprit behind the scrolls disappearance was still within the mansion's premises if only making their way down the main street.

"Hehe, Jiji is so not gonna believe I pulled that off." She giggled as she removed her jutsu's effects reappearing in the alleyway off the main street.

"Seriously though, what the hell? Konoha's Elite special force, an ANBU, tricked and fooled by a girl not even out of the academy." Mikon said laughing in halfhearted disbelief. "Naruto's gonna get a kick from this when I tell him I snuck past an ANBU in the Mansion."

As she made her way back home a twisted idea popped into her head. If she could sneak past the ANBU then didn't that mean that Naruto and Ino - who she considered as equals - be capable of a similar feat? If so~o...

As she thought the gears began turning in her head as a sinister grin appeared on her face making the people around her feel slightly unsettled. Their worry and reactions were warranted. This was the girl notorious for the mass-epidemic of "princess check" attacks on the local populous. If she was smiling it meant something bad was in store for the village... and they knew it.

Mikon however was oblivious to the villagers, who eyeing her with concern, as she continued down the street of the slowly awakening village.

"Hehe I bet once he gets his confidence back after mastering the bunshin jutsu that Naruto'll come up with some killer pranks that we can pull on the ANBU. We'll be the first to prank the best shinobi in the village. This is gonna be so awesome, Dettabane." Mikon squealed as she made a dash for Naruto and Ino. Excited for the future events she believed laid in their future.

Consequently almost every ANBU and future ANBU that would join for the next six years felt a chill rush down their spines. Eventually the unspoken event would be called among the elite forces as the ANBU Morning Shiver, a foreshadowing of the nightmarish pranks they would soon experience and be traumatized by.

 **-Naruto's Secret Training Site, Morning-**

Mikon arrived we're she left Naruto and Ino alone the night before. And like any good hard working individual she was rewarded for her efforts. Still asleep in the tree's cavity was Ino and Naruto. Apparently the two fell asleep and were now cuddling each other. The sight of Ino holding Naruto and Naruto nestled in her embrace would appear adorable to anyone. Mikon was not anyone however. Mikon's grin grew at the sight. With due haste she rushed to her room to retrieve her camera.

Grabbing it quickly she turned to rush back to the adorable scene her two friends where presently presenting.

"I still gotta remember to retur... I mean make this reappear at the old camera guys shop…" Mikon reminded herself forgetting the fact she _borrowed_ the item some time ago. For now however, she had other plans. Rushing back she silently crept up to the two and aimed the camera for the perfect shot.

FLASH!

With a bright light and loud puff of smoke, the device captured the moment to Mikon's growing amusement.

It also disturbed the sleeping of Ino, who shifted slightly as she come too from her slumber. Wiping the sleep from her eyes she glanced up at Mikon. Hiding the camera away she smiled her and Naruto's trademark sheepish shit-eating grin as Ino gazed at her drowsily.

"Hey Ino, nice to see you're up." Mikon said greeting the half awake Yamanada. Rubber her eyes again Ino looked at Mikon, "Mikon? What are you… " Ino started to ask as her brain rebooted and she remembered the night before.

"YOUR BACK! How did it go? You didn't steal anything right? Where there any problems? Did you find a jutsu for Naruto!?" Ino shout out in quick succession the questions that had haunted her until she fell victim to sleep.

Mikon smiled as she showed her the bag which held the scroll she used to copy what she found. "Okay in order. Great. No. A lot. And one." Mikon said answering the wave of questions that came at her. Pulling out the scroll she wrote the jutsu in Mikon handed it to Ino.

"The most private library in all of Konoha and this is the only bunshin jutsu they had. Seriously, you'd think the village would have at least one water clone jutsu or something, dettabane." Mikon commented in annoyance.

Ino looked at the scroll and her smile faded.

"This is a B-rank forbidden jutsu. Isn't this a bit dangerous?" Ino asked in concern. She was expecting a different method of making a clone not a jutsu that was in on whole different level from what they had been taught. Most genin wouldn't even be able to use a B-rank jutsu let alone one that required so much chakra to use, well everyone except maybe Sasuke. Ino wonder if Naruto would be okay if he tried to learn it or if they should play it safe and not tempt fate.

"Is what dangerous?" a muffled moan asked behind the two girls.

Turning around the two girl's discovered their discussion had awoken Naruto. The boy's drowsy eyes and sluggish moment was really adorable depending on who saw it. Unfortunately it was the case for the two girls.

"Soooo, cute." Mikon and Ino thought as they struggled not to hug the sleepy boy in front of them.

"Okay, now that is a Forbidden Jutsu right there. The Naruto Waking Up Jutsu." Mikon said jokingly as she struggled fruitlessly to resist the urge to hug the boy. Failing to keep the desire at bay, Mikon instead charged and almost strangled Naruto in her embrace. He was really too adorable for her to resist.

"Dying, dying..." Naruto wheezed out as Mikon's hold grew more and more possessive. Ino grimaced in envy at the sight of Mikon hugging Naruto. Why was she jealous of Mikon? Was it because she was hugging Naruto. Did that mean she liked Naruto? That couldn't be it, she liked Sasuke-kun. Why would she feel jealous? Ino wondered this as she pulled Mikon off Naruto before she could successfully strangled him.

"Baka-Miko, don't kill Naruto-kun before you give him the scroll!" Ino yelled. She didn't intend to yell but her thoughts influenced her more then she realized as envy affixed itself to her words.

"Scroll?" Naruto asked confused as Mikon released her strangle hold on him. Having just woken up and having nearly been squeezed to death, he wasn't quite sure as to what was going on.

"Oh yeah, sorry bout that," Mikon stated as she moved to let Naruto take the scroll from Ino. "I found a jutsu that might work. Its a high rank forbidden jutsu but if your chakra problem is similar to what I have, we might have just found the bunshin jutsu for you." Mikon said with an ecstatic grin.

After taking it Naruto read the scroll while Mikon told Ino what went down that night while she stayed with Naruto. She told her how she snuck into the mansion, outsmarted an ANBU, and escaped without being seen. All of which Ino was having a hard time swallowing.

Naruto missed every word she said as he was engrossed in the jutsu Mikon had found. It was the real deal, a high level bunshin jutsu. The basics concept was the same as a regular bunshin except for the execution. The Shadow Clone Jutsu required a huge amount of chakra. So much that many would pass out from chakra exhaustion just trying to make one. Despite the risks Naruto was gonna do it. He had a feeling chakra wasn't going to be an issue though he had no evidence to back it up. But the real reason was that both Ino and Mikon put themselves out there for him when things went down for him.

Ino had abandoned her curfew to stay with him while he was depressed. Mikon risked herself getting caught when she went to help him by finding a jutsu he could master. The very jutsu that he had struggled with for two years straight. If he didn't show results now then how could he thank them for their efforts. It would be like slapping their efforts right back in their faces.

Naruto looked up at Mikon and Ino his heart filled to the brim with gratitude and... something else. He didn't know what it was, but it was bright and warm. Tears filled his eyes as he broke down again over come with joy.

"Naruto-kun/Naruto!" the two girls shouted in concern. They panicked not knowing why Naruto was crying again. Did they mess up, was something wrong with the scroll? Was he upset that they thought he couldn't do a standard bunshin and should give up to try another?

"Sorry. Its just... you two are the best." He said with tears sliding down his gentle smile.

Naruto thought the night before he couldn't have been happier when their prank succeeded. He was wrong, at this moment there was no happiness greater then this in his life. He had two friends who accepted him wholeheartedly and gave him the courage to move forward in his moment of doubt.

"Thank you Miko-chan, Ino-chan" Naruto said with a giant smile.

As the three smiled they burst into laughter together. None of them knew why they started laughing but they just did. For the next few minutes the all laughed helplessly until their sides hurt. Laying on the ground in pain the three stared up at the morning sky.

"You know, you should probably practice that somewhere other then here. Because of my breaking-and-entering, the whole village is kinda a mess." Mikon suggested through heaving breaths. She knew that if the village caught Naruto practicing a jutsu from the supposedly missing scroll, they would blame him and accuse him stealing the scroll.

"Yeah, that sounds good. I'll look around for a good spot to practice. That way I can surprise both of you when I master the jutsu you got me. Thanks again Miko-chan, you know, for the jutsu." Naruto said as he started to get up.

Ino felt a slight discomfort at being left out but ignored it. She was happy that Naruto was feeling better even if it was because of Mikon's efforts.

"Also, Ino-chan, your the first person I want to show it too." Naruto said looking at her.

Ino blushed at him in response as she asked, "Why do you want to show me first?"

Naruto smiled as he gave her his answer. "Because you where the first person to be my friend… and because you stayed with me last night." Naruto explained blushing a brilliant shade of pink himself. Quickly he rushed off into to start practicing. He felt embarrassed though he didn't realize it, but more then anything he felt confident and wanted to prove them right to believe in him. He wanted to prove that Naruto Uzumaki wasn't a failure. That he was worthy of their friendship.

Ino continued to blush as she watched him race off.

"So you and Naruto are a thing now dettabane?" Mikon asked with a perverted grin. Mikon's comment set Ino off like a uncertain firecracker. Her brain shut down not expecting the comment as she stumbled to combat the words directed at her.

"Baka! It's not like that, we're just friends. Um… he… I… the one I like is Sasuke-kun." Ino yelled in embarrassed desperation. This only made Mikon smile even more, "That's not what this says." She sang in a sing song voice as she held up the picture of Ino sleeping with Naruto in her arms.

Ino went flush red as all her emotions seemed to gather across her nose. "H-how did you. When?..." Her mind shut down but rebooted just as quickly as her brain ordered her limbs to recover the evidence at all cost. "Give it here!" Ino demanded as she attempted to tackle Mikon to recover the photo.

"Not~on~your~life, I~no~chan." Mikon sang emphasizing each syllable as she dodged Ino's preemptive strike. Running away with the picture in hand she called out teasingly, "I'm framing this one for sure."

"BAKA-MIKO! GIVE IT HERE!" Ino screamed, chased after Mikon. He face burned bright pink as she gave chase, desperate to get the photo before Naruto saw it... or anyone else for that matter. The adrenaline from her fury buried the emotional storm inside her between the conflicting thoughts revolving around her own feelings in regards to Naruto.

 **-In the middle of Konoha-**

Naruto walked through the middle of town deep in thought. He had spent all day yesterday looking for an isolated area where no one would interrupt his attempt at learning the Kage Bunshin Jutsu. Unfortunately every place he checked was filled with shinobi. He was surprised to see a number of ANBU too.

"Seriously Mikon what exactly did you do? At this rate I won't be able to find a isolated place to train. Geez why does every good place to train have people present." Naruto grumbled as he made his way back home.

"Looking for a place to practice Naruto?"

Recognizing the voice, Naruto turned around to see a group of boys approach him. Recognizing the one in the middle who spoke as Hibachi, Naruto stopped. Naruto watched Hibachi pushing his greyish-blue sock-hat back to stare at him. With a smug look on his face Hibachi continued seeing he had Naruto's attention, "If you're looking for a place to train in secret I know the perfect spot."

"Really? Where? Where?" Naruto asked excitedly. In the back of his mind however he was skeptical. Hibachi was one of the boys he pranked at the cemetery. Hibachi always mocked and belittled him in class too, so why would he want to help him now? "I'll play along for now." Naruto thought before he continued speaking.

"Hey, come on, don't be stingy tell me, tell me." he asked, acting excited. Naruto wasn't stupid or desperate enough to trust them but they might actually know of some place he hadn't checked. It just meant Naruto had to be careful and looking out for the 'catch' that would accompany their help. If the boy noticed his lack of the phrase "dattebayo" he might have caught onto the fact Naruto wasn't really excited.

"Chill Naruto. There's this place on 'The Hill' where you can find a bunch of shinobi tools. It's a super secret training area that only my gang know of. My dad told me almost every ninja present is currently searching for some thief so right now the place is even more isolated then usual." Hibachi explained with a sick smile.

"That's bullshit, sock head." Naruto thought. He had explored The Hill before and while it may be isolated there wasn't any really good areas to train in beside an area when many traps where laid out for Shinobi to practice setting and escaping from. On top of that there had never been a place filled with ninja tools before. Naruto knew this was the case because he had looked everywhere for a weapon two years earlier eventually finding an abandoned and shattered tri-pronged kunai in a dark alley.

Naruto recalled those darker days and was amazed at the effort he had put into find a weapon back then for such a grim purpose. He really had to complete his jutsu to thank Ino and Mikon properly, recalling his happiness.

"Wow, for real! Thanks man. I'll be able to master my super secret jutsu now." Naruto said still acting as he raced off for The Hill. He knew something was off and while he knew Hibachi was lying he couldn't figure what Hibachi wanted by sending him there. Even so, if it really was isolated it would be the best place for him to train. Before that however Naruto decided to stock up on as may of his makeshift explosive tags as he could before going. If he placed them on the bottles of left over alcohol then he'd have a weapon to defend himself against any troubles he might encounter. Stockpiling on stored flour scrolls might also be a good idea he concluded, making his way to his old home.

Thanks to Jiraya and Mikon, Naruto's old apartment was now his home away from home and an excellent place to store his stock of ninja tools and items. Keeping it stocked was the only problem really.

After making a few alcohol/paper bomb explosive jars and picking up a few storage scrolls which he had recently learned how to write up, Naruto made his way to The Hill and the spot Hibachi mentioned.

As he dashed through the forest he wondered why no one had gathered here. Jumping from tree to tree, every now and then he spotted foot prints or snapped branches. Shinobi were definitely here at some point but why where they gone now? No matter what Naruto thought he couldn't figure out why so many traces of shinobi were present but no shinobi to be present. Did that mean they achieved their goal or did something happen to cause them to retreat? Regardless Naruto just had to keep an eye open for anyone that might be there.

Stopping suddenly, Naruto was dumbfounded by the sight that entered his field of view. Jump down from the tree he saw what was clearly a very chaotic battlefield. Looking around he noticed several things. First there were ninja tools he didn't recognize. Second the ground was scorched and trees had cut marks from a sword. And finally the wounds in the vegetation where fresh.

"Did all of this happen recently?" Naruto didn't hear anything of a battle between ninja. Judging from the state of the trees and dirt it must have been recently. Still there was no sign of anyone around.

"Shit, something bad happened here. If I'm gonna do this I better start training now." Naruto said to himself aloud. His nerves were racing all over the place. The whole area was giving him bad vibes but it was the only place he found where no one would find him. It was well hidden and a fair distance away from anywhere. On top of that, Naruto could tell no one was around to interrupt him, though it was only a feeling.

If he worked fast he could master the jutsu and get out of there before something bad happened. Unraveling the scroll he started training to use the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.

J/N: (Shadow Clone Jutsu)

"Lets get this started, dattebayo!"

 **-Academy-**

Iruka looked over his class his eyes taking in everyone present. His eyes focused on three empty seats in particular.

"Has anyone seen Ino?" He asked.

"I think I saw her getting a lecture from her dad earlier today. I think she's just running late. Miko was there too." Sakura confirmed.

Iruka nodding for a moment, "So Ino and Mikon are late..." a moments pause he looked up again.

"And had anyone seen…" Iruka started asking as the door opened revealing Ino and Mikon rushing in.

"Sorry we're late Iruka-sensei." Ino said out of breath looking up at Iruka who nodded in responce.

"It's fine. Both of you please take your seats."

As the two made their way to their seats Iruka focused on Mikon as he asked, "Mikon have you seen Naruto at all?"

Mikon turned her head away from Iruka sticking her nose up and away from him. "Yeah I saw him yesterday. Not like you didn't already know that baka-sensei." she answered with every ounce of scorn she could muster.

"Hey! Baka-Miko don't talk like that Iruka-sensei" Sakura shouted in response to Mikon's disrespectful tone.

"Shut it, you damn Siren! I'll talk like this cause he doesn't deserve otherwise!" Mikon countered.

"Enough both of you," Iruka shouted as he turned to the class before asking again, "Has anyone seen Naruto today?"

Hibachi spoke up first, "Nope haven't seen him at all." The rest of his gang held back their snickers as their leaders calm and collective tone showed no signs of lying.

What happened next hwoever surprised everyone in the class, Mikon and Ino especially. Shikamaru the laziest good for nothing of the class who always slept and never payed attention actually stood up and spoke without being ordered too.

"Naruto went up to The Hill. Isn't that right Hibachi?" Shikamaru informed the room looking down directing his gaze incriminatingly at Hibachi.

"Naruto went to The Hill?" Iruka asked seeking confirmation as a cold sweat permeated his composure.

"Shikamaru what are you…?" Hibachi started to say. Why was the lazy guy trying to foil his plan. Why did he care if he was lying. It was just Naruto.

Shikamaru continued explaining as he stared down at Hibachi. "I don't like it. I don't like it one bit. Tricking Naruto by telling him he can find a secret training area on The Hill like that. Naruto might be annoying but he didn't deserve to be tricked into…"

"YOU BASTARD!" Mikon screamed interrupting Shikamaru and throwing the entire class for a loop. Mikon was many things, reckless, loud, annoying, kind, but if there was one thing in particular she was good at it was connecting the dots and putting facts together to figure out a situation. Mikon knew about the 'thief' the ANBU had chased possessed allies out in The Hill having overheard the ANBU talking about the conflict that night. She also knew who Hibachi's family was and that his father was exposed to the knowledge of said conflict. For her it wasn't hard to put Shikamaru's additional info together with hers and know what the boy was seeking to do by lying to Naruto. She was an idiot and proud of it, but blind was not one of her traits.

In an instant Mikon covered the distance between the door and where Hibachi sat. Grabbing him she shoulder flipped Hibachi onto the floor from his seat with a deafening thud. In any other situation Iruka would have been proud of her perfect form but was left speechless at the escalating violence.

"ANSWER ME! You knew that the village engaged a thief on The Hill and that their were signs of more thieves present. YOU KNEW DIDN'T YOU!" She demanded, screaming in his face. The atmosphere rose in temperature as Mikon's chakra boiled outward and her wrath surged forth. Iruka recalled his encounter with the enraged Mikon the previous night and froze up, not sure what to do exactly.

Raising Hibachi to mere inches from her face, Mikon glared at him with her now turquoise glowing eyes. In a low shallow breath that seemed to call death itself she asked with a tone of finality. "Did. You. Know."

Wetting his pants he stared up into Mikons ethereal eyes before answering in a weak shaking voice.

"H-hai."

The moment he said it Iruka panicked as killing intent flooded throughout the room. He rush forward to intervened and stop Mikon who was in mid swing to beat the life out of Hibachi. In a shocking twist she was stopped not by Iruka but by Ino who pulled here back and held her away from Hibachi.

"Ino, you better hold me tight… cause if you let go, I'd gonna beat the crap out of him." Mikon said with a cold calmness that sent chills across the room. Kiba in the back of the room muttered something about "like his mom" and Shikamaru muttered what appeared to be "mendokusai".

Having snapped back to his sense Iruka knew he had to do something. "Everyone, class will be free study until I return. Ino continue to keep a 'grip' on things here." He informed while commenting specifically on the situation with Mikon.

"Sensei… about Naruto" Ino started to say as Iruka made ready to leave.

"Leave Naruto to me." He said rushing out of the room with a gently smile directed at Ino.

Making his way out of the academy and dashing towards The Hill Iruka muttered under his breath, "Naruto... please be okay."

 **-The Hill-**

Exhausted from training Naruto laid on his back. He did it. He really did it. He didn't understand how or why but he succeeded in learning the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. If he wasn't so hungry he'd be jumping for joy. He didn't even understand how it was possible that he got it so easily until he considered the fact that it was practically the same jutsu as the Clone Jutsu except for the huge chakra requirements. They where practically the same jutsu. Even stranger was that Naruto didn't even feel winded from attempting the jutsu so many times. He didn't even feel the draining sensation that the instructions warned of which indicated chakra fatigue. Naruto wondered if that was normal as he laid on his back to relax.

As Naruto laid there listening to his stomach growl, lost in thought, his eye caught sight of a birds nest sitting in the trees.

"Awesome I think I just found myself lunch!"

Climbing up the tree Naruto found a collection of eggs. "Lucky. Huh… whats this?"

Naruto asked as he pulled out an odd looking kunai with a strange piece of paper rapped around it. "A kunai? Never seen this kind before. It's different from the others laying around. Is this some kind of note?"

Naruto unraveled the paper from the kunai as he pocketed the blade. Looking at the piece of paper Naruto might have gotten excited too soon.

"And it's just a strange doodle…" Was all he got out before he noticed something... a pattern. Naruto looked at it the parchment and he noticed that it was a doodle with a pattern. He'd seen similar things in Jiji's office. It didn't take long for the connections for form in the blonds head.

"Wait, could this be some kind of secret code?"

Putting it away he decided he'd show it to the old man. Maybe it was important or left by the people who fought here. Placing the paper into his pocket he proceeded to get moving, confident that classes at the academy had long already started.

"Grawwl"

At the reminder of his stomach however, Naruto decided to cook the eggs he found before hightailing it away. Sure the situation was creepy but a hours time and no one showing up left Naruto feeling it was safe enough to have fill his stomach. Eating his fill he proceeded to made his way out of the forest. It was no full course meal but it would tide him over till he got back to the village.

Making his way to return home he sneezed just in time as a blur of black flew past him where a mere second ago his head was. Looking at the black object Naruto recognized it as a kunai... that same kind he had just found in the tree. With his instincts flooding his brain at full speed Naruto stood up and took a defensive posture picking up and wielding the kunai that had just barely missed him.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked as he wonder to himself why does he always get attacked when minding his own business.

Three ninja appeared in front of him causing his face to contort as a new question entered his mind. A better question, why was it every damn ninja had to wear such ambiguous clothing? Spotting their headbands made it easy for Naruto to know at least what they were, an enemy. Their headbands had a different symbol from Konoha's in any case. If the kunai in his hand was anything to go by they where enemies for trying to head shot him. As he looked at their headbands Naruto swore he had seen that symbol before but couldn't quite remember from where.

"Takigakure?" Naruto muttered a guess trying to recall. The ninja before him didn't give him the chance to figure out if his guess was right as they started speaking.

"Yo kid. Would you kindly hand over the kunai you found to us?" The middle ninja of the three yelled out.

Naruto looked at them carefully. If they were enemy spies then he was in big trouble. He had listened to some of Jiraiya's stories and had learned to never underestimate a ninja.

"Sure, but why would you want a rusty old kunai?" Naruto asked as he tossed the kunai he found in the tree to them. As it flipped through the air Naruto put the kunai they had thrown at him into his bag as he palmed a scroll he had prepared previously. Using the kunai he cut his finger as he readied to flee.

"Hmph, you don't need to know tha… Oy kid. Where's the paper?" The ninja demanded to know.

Naruto smiled. So that doodle was important. If it was important he couldn't let them have it... that and keeping it from them stirred his inner prankster which was reflected in his smile.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Whipping out a storage seal Naruto set up for his getaway. While their attention was drawn by the paper and on guard, Naruto quickly formed the tiger seal causing a jar filled with a transparent liquid to appear in a cloud of smoke. Grabbing it quickly Naruto tossed at the three ninja before they could see what it was.

Confirming that the boy resist the lead ninja prepared for combat. "Stupid brat, If you won't give it to us we'll have to use… GYAA!"

Naruto formed a hand sign to trigger his makeshift paper-bomb that was inside the jar. Said jar which was in mid air suddenly shattered throwing glass shrapnel everywhere and spray flaming liquid all over the three ninja, effectively interrupting the leader in mid sentence.

"If you want to use force then just try it, baka!" Naruto mocking retorted before crossing his fingers. "If you want it so badly you'll have to catch me." channeling his chakra he shouted, " **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.** "

J/N: Do I really need a Jutsu note here?

Instantly in a puff of smoke nine Naruto's appeared and scattered in every direction.

"If you want it you'll have to catch the real one of me." One Naruto shouted.

"I wonder~ I wonder~ I wonder who has it~?" Another Naruto sang mockingly.

"Come and get us you Turkey Jerks." Another dared.

"You do realize its Taki not Turkey right." Another corrected.

In mere moments all Naruto's where a fair distance away leaving the Flat-footed Taki-Nin behind.

Grabbing her face the lead Taki ninja growled through the pain. "I'm gonna kill that kid."

Removing her hand revealed multiple spots of burned flesh and skin on her face with her eye swelling shut from the swelling charred flesh. The other two weren't in any better condition. Both of their uniforms absorbed most of the damage and snuffed the fire, but one had their eyes covered in the flaming liquid blinding her while the other managed to only burn her arm while protecting her face.

Running through the forest Naruto knew if he fought them up front he'd get seriously hurt. Worse is if he lost he'd cause trouble for the village. If he had any chance of getting out unharmed he'd need to reach the village or hide the paper where they couldn't find it.

Given the odds his clones gave him his chances of escape were good. Turning to look back however caused Naruto swear up a mental storm. Out of all the odds that they stuck together and chased after only one of the nine, the three Taki-Nin just had to hit the jackpot.

"Damn it, move, dettabayo!" Naruto shouted pushing his mobility to the limit. The three ninja whether they knew it or not where chasing the real Naruto. In truth the entire time Naruto was honestly terrified. The stories the Jiraiya told where always exciting but now that he found himself in the position he was in those stories had Naruto's blood run cold in fear. Recalling the old

"Don't let the boy escape! After him. I'm gonna kill him. " The Taki ninja shouted murderous intent radiating from them. Forming the Dog, Rabbit, and Monkey hand seals the three clapped their hands together before throwing a shower of Shuriken at Naruto. In unison the three shouted as they attacked, " **Gen'ei Tajū Shuriken no Jutsu** "

J/N: (Multi Phantom Shuriken Jutsu)

The shower of shuriken multiplied and rained down upon Naruto. Free running as fast as he could Naruto swung from tree to tree like a monkey not even paying attention to the hailstorm of shuriken around him. As he maneuvered and weaved his way through the forest the trees acted as a shield, catching and intercepting the shuriken that would have hit him.

"Damn this brats agile." one of the Taki ninja shouted. "Don't let him get away" the leader screamed. How were they having so much trouble with one brat. It was like the kid was supernaturally lucky or something. How could a kid who wasn't even dodging not get hit a single time by their barrage of shuriken?

A shout rang through the trees which drew the four individuals attention.

"NARUTO!"

Turning in shock Naruto saw Iruka jumping towards him. Losing his focus Naruto slipped, loosing his footing and tumbled down into a clearing. Dizzy and aching he regained his bearings as best he could. Feeling a hand on his shoulder he looked up to see Iruka beside him.

"Naruto are you ok?" Iruka asked. Naruto nodded confirming his own well being minus the pains from falling. He wasn't sure if it was because he was still slightly dizzy from the fall or not, but Iruka seemed to be looking at him just then. The usual glare was... missing. "Was Iruka actually worried about me?" Naruto asked himself. Naruto felt his own thoughts become as dizzy as his body felt. What the hell was going on. Why was Irukai-sensei here acting like he cared.

"Who are you and what are you doing so close to Konoha? Iruka asked the foreign ninja readying himself to fight or flee.

Breaking out of his thoughts Naruto looked back to see Iruka glaring at the Taki shinobi who had just caught up with him. "Damn it, now I got sensei involved." he cursed. Naruto paused as he looked back at Iruka. That's what it was. Iruka did care. He was still Naruto's sensei and did care for him. Why else would he leave the class in search for him. Even if it was to yell at him for skipping that was still a show of acknowledgment that the other adults never gave him. Even if it wasn't the case Naruto enjoyed the warmth he felt from the thought as he watched the situation unfold.

"Who the hell are you? You gonna get in our way?" The Taki ninja inquired ignoring Iruka's own inquiry. "If you don't want to get hurt shut up and leave the brat."

Iruka shook his head, "I can't do that, he's my precious student. I won't abandon him." He shouted in defiance as he drew his kunai ready for battle.

Naruto eyes shined at those words. Iruka did care, he was a precious student. Even if it was just an act in his presence for the first time Naruto felt like he could trust Iruka and believe in him. A seed of believe that Iruka was different from the other adults took root in Naruto's heart. Breaking himself from his trance Naruto felt a strange chill overcome him. The feeling was heavy and empty, as if all the warmth had been drained leaving not even the sensation of being cold. Heavy, Void of emotion and... dark. He turned his gaze to the enemy ninja and for a brief moment wondered if they were the cause.

The Three Ninja laughed as they stared down readying to attack Naruto and Iruka.

"You mean former student." One of the ninja said mockingly.

"Forget this, lets finish them with that."

"Yeah, we'll kill them both with that jutsu."

Forming the hand signs for Dog, Rat and then Tiger they channeled their chakra and puffed out their chests as they took in a deep breath readying a katon jutsu.

Naruto's instincts where faster however. Whatever the feeling he felt was it triggered his instincts and readied him to respond to their attack. More of a reflex Naruto acted upon it without a single thought hindering him.

"I WON'T LET YOU!" Naruto screamed out charging forward from behind Iruka. He couldn't let them kill Iruka. He wouldn't let Iruka get caught up in his recklessness. Looking up Naruto's mind stopped thinking as his gaze focused squarely on his targets. Act or not, Naruto wouldn't let them hurt his sensei.

"Naruto! Don't…" was all Iruka could get out as he looked up watching as Naruto jumped at the three ninja. His words fell dead on his tongue at the sight that was descending behind the three ninja. Behind the enemy ninja, falling from the trees, were eight Naruto's each one holding what looked to be large bags of flour. Each clone tearing up their own bag forced out the flour creating a massive cloud that covered the Taki trio.

"Stop the jutsu!" the leader shouted realizing the error of finishing their combination jutsu in the dense cloud of flour would result in. Setting off their combination fire jutsu would have engulfed them in their own attack. Staring down at Naruto her eyes raging, cursed the child for interrupting their attack. This brat was making a mockery of them. How was it a child was making fools of them. They where trained ninja and this boy was just a child. Yet not once but twice had he made fools of them. In the midst of her anger she failed to see the determination in his eyes, his mindless resolve.

However her glare of anger quickly turned to that of fear. Watching the boys actions as he charged into the cloud of flour she noticed the slip of paper in his hand. Realization struck her but it was too late to act.

"Is he insane!?" was all she screamed out before his actions intervened.

Time practically froze for everyone present as they watched Naruto. Iruka thoughts where like a violent storm. His world was turned upside down right on its head. He stared dumbfounded. Naruto had actually learned how to preform the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Those where solid clones, nothing like the illusions the Academy taught. Everything he had been told about the boy, that he was a failure, that he was unworthy of anyone's time, that he held no talent was a lie. How blind could he have been. How many other kids his age could create a Shadow Clone. None, not a single one of them could possibly pull it off, none had the reserves to pull it off. Sasuke might but be able to but would have been limited to one. Yet here was a child who created not one but eight separate clones from what he could see. Not even most Joinin could pull that off. While Iruka was sure they could knew the reason they didn't was that it was a taxing jutsu which would have exhausted them long before they could reap any benefits the jutsu had to offer.

As his thoughts revolved endlessly a sense of joy, born of pride, filled him when a realization struck him. This child wasn't the fox, not by a long shot. He was simply a lonely and misunderstood child. No he wasn't misunderstood it was more then that, he was ignored. Yet despite this wished to become a strong ninja like everyone of his classmates and gave it everything he had.

As his mind came to grips with the wrongs he had done to the boy the joy he felt turn to fear at the sight of the object in Naruto's hand. As he stared a very similar expression of fear to what the three Taki ninja currently wore overshadowed his features.

In Naruto's hand a makeshift paper bomb was waving in the wind as he closed in on the trio.

A single thought was burned in Naruto's mind, "stop them". He had prepared this scenario for a prank but figured it would be too dangerous so never did. While the idea came to him after he was ganged up on by a bunch of drunks he knew being caught in the blast would hurt. After all he had seen the results when the drunks in question tried to beat him up and brand him with a lighter caused some flour to explode catching them all on fire when one of them knocked it down. This time however Naruto would actively reenact that night to protect Iruka.

The area fell quiet as Naruto voice cut through the silence.

"Explode! Dettabayo!"

The tag sparked to life as a small flame was lit at one of its corners. The Taki-Nin's final thoughts fell dead in the explosion that followed. Their last united thoughts was that this kid _was_ insane.

 **BOOOOOOOM!**

Iruka watched as the concussive wave blew him backwards, the massive explosion enveloping the area in fire. The resulting flames expanding ruthlessly as they swallowed and burned everything in its path.

Iruka was helpless as the explosion swallowed up the Taki Ninja, Naruto, and Naruto's clones which instantly bust into puffs of smoke. Watching the brilliant flash of orange and red swallow his student his chest tightened in pain.

"Oh my…" Iruka whispered under his breath his words falling short off his tongue.

Shocked at the boys actions and worried for his well-being Iruka rushed to see if he was alive. He couldn't believe the recklessness the boy displayed. He jumped head long into battle with no hesitation, no fear, facing three opponents many times stronger than him, with no chance of wining unharmed and took them out with an explosion with no concern for his well being. How many of his fellow classmates would act the same under the same circumstances. Iruka impressed also had a haunting thought whisper into his ear; Did he not care or thing about his own well being?

As the dust settled, it revealed the devastation of the blast. The ground was scorched with ash, foliage was burning brightly, and lying on the ground in the center of the blast zone were four badly burnt bodies. Running to check on the boy's condition Iruka shouted in concern hoping he was alive and in surprise. "Naruto!"

Iruka gaze quickly summarized the boys wounds. The boy was in critical condition, but would recover. Amazingly his skin was already healing and recovering remarkable fast. Even so Iruka knew he needed medical attention as soon as possible. Looking up he scanned the three Taki-nin's conditions as well. They where also unconscious, critically injured, but alive.

"Well this is a sight you don't see very often." an aloof voice spoke out from behind Iruka.

Turning his head around Iruka recognized the new arrivals infamous attire and silver hair.

"Kakashi-san, why are you here?" Iruka asked.

"Oh no reason really. I crossed some of your students and they told me what happened. Curious I decided to check things out. Good thing to it seems. That explosion was a little too big for comfort if you ask me. The village is probably in a panic wondering what caused it." Kakashi commented with an eye smile.

"Its not every day a paper-bomb causes a blast of that scale and noise to happen so close to the village." Kakashi continued saying as he took on a more serious persona.

"Iruka…sensei" Naruto wheezed out weakly. With a weak hand he pulled out the slip of paper and held it up. "Important…kept from… them." Naruto finished speaking as he passed out. Kakashi took the paper and his eye grew even more serious. If this was what he thought it was, then Naruto just performed a big contribution to the village's safety. "We better get back to the village. I leave Naruto to you." Kakashi said. Iruka was surprised at the jounin's change in character but agreed more worried for Naruto then anything else.

"Right I'll leave those three to you then." Iruka said gesturing to the three Taki-nin as he rushed off to get Naruto to the hospital.

Watching them leave, Kakashi turned to look at the boys efforts. "Who would have thought, eh, sensei."

 **-Konoha Hospital-**

Naruto laid peacefully on a hospital bed with a IV drip hooked up to him. His body was charred black yet despite the severe burns was quickly healing. Already his outer limbs and portions of his face and chest had regrown the damaged skin to a "healthy" degree. Medical ninjutsu accelerated the process as the Medical Ninja poured their chakra into the boy. A few attempted to hinder the healing in hopes to be rid of the boy however these attempts didn't go unnoticed by the numerous talents that where present in the room. None of which where pleased by the attempts and resulting in their quick removal from the hospital.

Surrounding the boy were several Anbu and Jounin, including Kakashi Hatake, Sarutobi Asuma, and Inoichi Yamanada. Iruka Umino and the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. All of which stood in thought as they observed the boy's recovery.

"It's amazing that the boy survived wounds this severe." Asuma stated in awe. Leaning up against the wall he kept his gaze on Kakashi as he like everyone else present waited to hear what Kakashi could see with his eye.

Kakashi finished scanning Naruto with his sharingan as he raised his hand and covered it up with his headband. "It's not as severe as it looks. Only the Epidermis itself was burned to a crisp, The lower layers of skin are haven't been touched...much anyway." Kakashi analyzed as he stated his findings confident the medical report would say the same thing.

Asuma shook his head, "That only makes it more incredible. Speaking of burns," He started speaking, exhaling a puff of smokes from his cigarette.

"No smoking in the Hospital!" one of the medics interrupted shouting at him to get rid of the cigar. Asuma shrugged slightly peeved but complied crushing the lit cigarette in his hand.

"Sorry, sorry." he said half heatedly to the medic. "Anyway you should have seen the other ninja's wounds." Asuma continued. "What became of those Taki Ninja anyway?"

Hiruzen spoke up drawing their attention, "They are currently being treated under intense observation. Though it appears they will live, I'm pretty sure they'll have trouble continuing being shinobi after this." With a sigh as he stroked his beard in thought as to what he would do with them.

"Even if it was improvised it was way to reckless." Iruka pointed out still reeling over letting Naruto get injured to such a degree right in front of him. He was helpless to stop him and helpless to do anything to help having been caught off guard by the boy's actions. Even if he ran off with Naruto, Iruka knew that all he'd be able to do was run but that realization didn't help much. In the back of his mind he blamed himself for pushing the boy away. Maybe if he hadn't Naruto wouldn't have been in the woods to begin with.

"Now, now. I might be wrong but it didn't seem like an improvised strategy." Asuma said catching everyone's attention this time. Hiruzen gazed at his son with a questioning eye. "What did he mean by that. Was Naruto's actions intentional?" he thought

"Asuma, please explain." Hiruzen asked, demanding to clear away the uncertainty.

Asuma looked at the boy with a gaze of acknowledgment and acceptance. "I might be wrong but have any of you taken a look at what he was carrying?" Asuma inquired. "The boy had several explosive tags with minor errors on them, and about ten storage scrolls along with a book filled with fūinjutsu exercises. Three of the scrolls held eight jars of flammable liquid with said explosive-tags inside them. The other scrolls held an assortment of either kunai, sacks of flour, rope, and even a jar of grease." He started listing off the boys supplies which he was carrying at the time.

"From what you told me Iruka, Naruto went out to The Hill to train and learn the Kage Bunshin jutsu after being tricked by one of his classmates, or something along those lines. But from what I've seen of the kid, Naruto doesn't walk around training packed with makeshift explosives in his pants. My guess is the kid knew it was a trick or at least something was up and went out prepared for the worst. Now kunai, rope, and grease I can rap my head around, but flour? The only thing I can come up with is that the kid knew what a dust explosion was. Now maybe this is a little far fetched but I'm guessing Naruto understood his limits. When he encounter the Taki ninja he retreated realizing he had found something important. Instead of fighting he retreated. So the flour explosion was probably a trump card which he used to protect you Iruka." Asuma explained.

Asuma would be the first to admit there was some jumps in logic in his reasoning but it made the most sense to him. Still he wondered if a six year old kid like Naruto really was that self aware to be able to think logically when under attack. Or was he simply desperate and attacked recklessly like Iruka thought. Without Naruto's input it was all guess work anyway.

"Wait, you said he had a book with fūinjutsu exercises. Are you telling me this kids been practicing fūinjutsu?" one of the ANBU asked. The muscular ANBU wearing a bear masked found it odd that a kid would have such a thing.

Talking not of this point and having one of his ANBU retrieve the book in question, Hiruzen looked at its contents with a slight smile. "This is quite impressive, Naruto seems to have the basics of writing fūinjutsu down and has been practicing on the application and understanding of fūinjutsu formulas." Hiruzen said with a hint of pride.

"It also explains where Naruto's been getting faulty explosive tags. He's been making them himself." Kakashi added.

"Naruto..." Iruka muttered. Recalling Naruto jumping in front of him to confront the Taki ninja he felt disgusted. He was disgusted at how he had treated Naruto, ignored, hated, and blamed him for his parents deaths. He never once tried to understand Naruto or wonder why he did what he did. But most of all was his desire as a teacher. Shadow clones and now Fuinjutsu, such a talented student and he had been pushing him away needlessly because of his own turmoil. He felt like he was one his classmates that shunned him when he was a student.

A sudden bang grabbed the attention of all in the room as two figures shot towards Naruto.

"Naruto!/Naruto-kun!"

Ino and Mikon both shouted in unison as they came running through the door. Ignoring everyone they attempted to rush to Naruto's side but was stopped by Hiruzen.

"Come with me girls." Hiruzen said with a gently smile intercepting them, "Naruto will be perfectly fine, he just needs his rest." Turning to everyone present he gave them his orders.

"For now everyone return to your posts. Kakashi I want you to search The Hill for anything that might have been missed. And Mikon, I would like to talk to you about copying secret scrolls in the Hokage Mansion later today."

His eyes gazed at Mikon knowingly causing Mikon's eyes to widen.

"Oh crap. I'm busted aren't I" Mikon said aloud grinning like an idiot. Hiruzen laughed at the sight of the girls shamelessness but still amazed at the girls talent.

"Good grief, you kids will give me no end of trouble. Come along you two."

He paused for a moment with both girls shoulders in his hands as he directed them towards the door. "As pleased as I am for your concern for Naruto…" Hiruzen smirking turned to Iruka, "I would like you to go back to class with your sensei." directing his gaze at the two girls before turning it to back to Iruka.

"Understood Iruka?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama." He said in acknowledgment as he took over control of steering the girls out of the room. "Come with me you two. Classes aren't over yet." Iruka said guiding the two worried youths out of the room.

 **-Inside Naruto's Mindscape-**

Naruto laid on his back unable to move. He didn't have a clue where he was. Trying to get up he rolled over and pushed himself up. "Che, damn that hurts." Naruto said to himself as he grabbed his sides. Standing up his head began to spin. What happened to him? All he could feel was pain and he didn't have a clue as to where he was.

Looking around it appeared like he was somewhere underground. The walls seemed to be made of stone or concrete, he wasn't sure of which though. Water dripped from pale red pipes that dotted the walls traveling the length of the corridor. Everything looked worse for wear, either deteriorating or damaged like something repeatedly struck it. It almost looked like the after math of one of Ino's tantrums. The floor was flooded up to his ankles yet no water damage or moss could be seen anywhere. Looking around everything seemed to have a orange or yellowish hue like the last light of dusk.

"Seriously, Guh… crap moving really hurts. Where the hell am I? He asked himself pain radiating throughout his body. He could barely hold himself up.

Sitting down he tried to recall what happened to him. Slowly his memories came back. He recalled successfully learning the Shadow Clone Jutsu, the three Taki ninja, and... "Iruka!"

Shouting Naruto's eyes shot open with worry. "That's right Iruka-sensei found me… and we we're attacked. Damn it I have to get out of here, Iruka could still be…" He started saying the grim images of Iruka being in danger but stopped to grab his head as his brain swam inside it. Why was his head pounding so much. Moving his hand away from his head he recalled a flash of light.

"Oh yeah, I got caught in my big explosion... Wait then does this mean, did I... die?"

Panicking Naruto jumped up only to scream in pain and falling right back down.

"Gyaaa! That hurts. If this is the afterlife it needs a new manager." Picking himself back up again albeit more carefully he figured if he was dead he wouldn't be in so much pain.

Looking down the corridor he started walking his mind wondering as he did. Where was he? He didn't recognize this place but it felt failure... painfully so. Was he captured? How long had he been out? This didn't look like anywhere in Konoha.

As he thought these questions Naruto wondered down the corridors following the numerous twists and turns.

"Man, this place is like a maze, who built this place?" Naruto wondered aloud. Turning another corner Naruto was greeted with a sight that left him speechless.

Before him was a large room, huge in fact. Looking carefully Naruto bet the Hokage Mansion could be fit inside this one room. Like everywhere else the floor was flooded and those strange pale red pipes hugged the walls. But what shocked Naruto was the massive red steel gate that was at the other side of the room. The towering gate seemed to be placed in the middle of the room between the orange hued environment and a boundless darkness beyond the gate. Naruto however instantly recognized the gate from his nightmares.

"At least this means I'm dreaming again, but I haven't had this dream in years. And it feels so... real." Naruto said breathless as gazing up at the gate. It was definitely the same gate. It even had the same giant tag on it with the symbol for forbidden written in ink. "This means…" Naruto thought to himself as he carefully approached the gate. Gazing inside he stared into the darkness. Swallowing his fear he braced himself for what he believed to be behind the gate. Instead of dear it felt like he swallowed a lump of lead. His body felt heavy as he approached the gate fear weighing down each step he took.

Sure enough, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness he saw it. A giant orange fur covered body. Naruto had never seen it in such detail before. Trying to get a better look he stiffened when the mass suddenly shifted. Naruto swallowed again his body trembling. It was getting up and turning around. In seconds, staring back at him were those massive glowing demonic red eyes.

Everything went silent. Naruto watched as his world went silent, bracing himself for anything to happen.

The creature's massive maw opened wide as a hurricane of wind blew past Naruto. It's massive claws approaching him fast, closer and closer it approached. The world was silent but Naruto knew the creature was roaring loudly and was about to kill him.

"Move." Naruto thought, the claw approaching him in slow motion drawing closer and closer. "Move." he thought again. The beast was inches away from him. "MOVE DATTEBAYO!" He screamed with all his might causing him to shoot up out of bed.

Naruto opened his eyes sweat covering his whole body. He was breathing heavy like he had just run a marathon. "What the?" he asked as he looking around.

Naruto found himself in the hospital. The medical instruments and white walls surrounded Naruto were illuminated as the moon's light cast its glow onto the hospital room.

"I see, the hospital. Guess that means I'm alive." Naruto concluded as he laid back down. His racing heart slowly returned to normal as he relaxed. He was alive, He was still alive.

Calming down he regained his senses as well as the awareness to the cause of his sense of pain. "Hehe guess that's why I hurt so much." he laughed as he looked at his chest and portions of his arms. Although mostly healed the scars that were still healing where a reminder of the burns that where there previously.

"Hehe, looks like a really messed up." Naruto chuckled.

"No kidding. That was way to reckless even for you, Naruto." A male voice replied from the door.

Turning Naruto saw Iruka standing by the door seemingly about to leave. "Iruka-sensei you're alright." Naruto declared in joy. That's great. Iruka wasn't hurt. He protected Iruka and lived to tell of it.

"Naruto..." Iruka began. Naruto watched as his sensei slowly approached him raising his hand up to Naruto. Naruto watched as his hand approached and stiffened up. It was gonna happen again. He was gonna get beaten up or stared at by those eyes... that weren't there. Naruto watched in astonishment. Iruka's eyes were looking straight at him full of acknowledgment and worry.

Placing his hand on Naruto's head, Iruka smiled, "Don't ever do that again. Your right to be mad at me but you can't ditch class like that. Not to mention blowing yourself up"

His words filled Naruto with emotion as he sat there and listened to Iruka scold him. For a good ten minutes Iruka lectured him on his recklessness and skipping class, but the words fell on deaf ears. Naruto wasn't really pay attention but basked in the harsh words which oddly felt... pleasant to Naruto.

"I've realized I never tried to understand you and that was my mistake. Your strong and you can become stronger. From now on Naruto, I'll be teaching you seriously and will be trying to understand you from now on." Iruka said with a smile ending his long monologue. "So please forgive me, Naruto."

Tears began to fill Naruto's eyes. "Sensei...thank you, sensei." Naruto said the tears began to flow down his face. Laughing Iruka retorted, "What are you thanking me for." The two sat their for a while one laughing, the other crying in joy.

Getting up to leave Iruka turned to smile at the boy who had now collected himself. "Once your out of the hospital I expect you to work extra hard to be Hokage."

"Hokage?" Naruto asked. Why did Iruka tell him to work hard to be Hokage. Wasn't that Jiji's title?

Smiling Iruka noticed and addressed the boys confusion. "I was told that you wanted to be the strongest ninja by Mikon and Ino. The Hokage is the title given to the strongest shinobi in the village. And out of all the Hokage the forth Hokage was considered the strongest and most talented ninja to ever bless the village." Iruka explained. "your dream is to be the strongest most acknowledged ninja right, Naruto?"

Naruto never knew. He never considered the old man to be strong, or that the title of Hokage was give to the strongest ninja of the village. The forth was considered the strongest ninja... the thought swam in Naruto's mind as he looked down at his sheets in contemplation. "I never knew…" Naruto muttered feeling slightly upset at his own ignorance. He had entered the academy two years earlier then both Ino and Mikon and yet not once was he ever been told of something so important. Important to him anyway.

"Iruka-sensei, can you tell me about the Hokage?" Naruto requested with as much sincerity as he had. He wanted to know. He wanted to know exactly what the Hokage was, what it meant to be Hokage. To Naruto, Jiraiya his godfather and father figure was amazing. He was a pervert, openly so, yet everyone respected him. Naruto had assumed it was because he was a strong and talented ninja and so made that his dream... minus the pervert parts. Wanting that same recognition Naruto wanted to be a strong ninja too. If being named Hokage meant he would be the strongest ninja then wouldn't he be acknowledged by everyone?

Seeing Naurto's earnest desire to know, Iruka agreed and told Naruto of all the stories he knew about the previous Hokage. Iruka couldn't help but laugh in his heart when he got around to talking about the Fourth Hokage. For some reason the stories of how the Forth took on army's and devoted everything to his friends and the village seemed to spark a fire in the boys already eager gaze.

As they talked into the late hours of the night and into the early hours of the morning Iruka came to have a desire to not just teach but support Naruto in his dreams.

He wasn't the demon in any shape of form. He was just a child neglected and ignored. A boy who chose to shut himself off from the world while acting like he was and idiot to gain attention as well as get some laughs. The pain and sorrow within Naruto's heart was so similar to his own yet so incredibly different. Unlike him Naruto didn't act like a class clown but instead withdrew himself from social interactions. Iruka wasn't even sure if he could ever complain about his own circumstances after contemplating Naruto's situation. Both of them understood pain and loneliness yet to him Naruto's pain seemed almost... heavier.

As they talked he learned that Naruto was actually a really hard worker, putting in more hours then anyone of his classmates. He informed him on how he was trying to learn fūinjutsu while practicing everything else from the Transformation Jutsu to Shurikenjutsu. Iruka also gained insight to Naruto's unique problem in regards to his chakra control. Never would he have guessed that Naruto had more chakra then even most Jounin class ninja. It was no wonder he struggled with ninjutsu since he doubted the boys body was even able to handle the quantity properly. In hindsight Iruka wanted to hit himself.

They also talked about the pranks that Naruto and his friends did to which Iruka even laughed at a few. Iruka had always heard about Mikon and the notorious nickname of Toad Princess she carried, but he never knew why she attacked everyone around her. To his pleasure it was simply her sticking up for Naruto. Iruka even came to understand that the pranks Naruto did where to get a laugh and to distract himself from his own troubles and the hatred of the village. While he did lecture him on not pranking others he knew so long as no one got hurt he would hound him too much over it.

As the first rays of the morning sun peaked through the blinds Iruka shielded his eyes from the light. Realizing it was already morning and having talked through the entire night Iruka shot up off the bed. Had to get ready for the day's classes and hadn't even slept since he talked with Naruto.

"Sorry Naruto I have to go get ready for classes." He informed Naruto as he made his way to the door in a rush. Before he left he held the door and turned to look at Naruto once more.

"Whoops, I almost forgot." he muttered his hand still on the door. With a genuine smile Iruka spoke quickly before leaving.

"Well done learning the Kage Bunshin Jutsu. I'm very proud of you. Keep up the good work, Naruto."

Naruto never even noticed Iruka leave. He stared at the door for almost an hour in a daze. Slowly a smile broke out on his face as he turned to stare out the window. He wasn't alone anymore and he was accepted. Ino, Mikon, Ojisan, Hokage-jiji, and now Iruka-sensei. The people who acknowledged him were growing as he grew stronger. While a seed of doubt festered in his mind he focused on the hope that it was wrong and that he meant something to all of them.

"I'll do it, I'll become Hokage and be an even greater shinobi then the Forth Hokage himself." He stated holding desperately to that hope. Looking forward to the future he grinned happily as Ino and Mikon made their way to check on him before going to class.

As the three chatted it up, in the dark reassesses of Naruto's mindscape ominous eyes opened from behind the steel cage. As its eyes opened fully a glow of sentience flashed behind the large eyes. The beast glanced around before it stated in a deep growling voice, " **Where is this, what happened to me?** "

Unbeknownst to anyone, as Mikon, Ino, and Naruto chatted away in the Hospital. The Kyuubi had awoken after six long years.

* * *

 **Yes, Thanks to Jiraiya's exposing Naruto to proper training (If we can call the lazy teaching method proper) and his friends Naruto has learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu a full 4 years earlier then cannon.**

 **Also to keep note, In case some of you fear that Naruto is gonna be some boring op'd untouchable god with the amount of chakra I've given him fear not for that isn't going to happen. Way to boring.**

 **While it will be explained in later chapter(s), Naruto's chakra capacity is strongly effected in part to the Reaper Death Seal and the Kyuubi's presence inside him. As for why it won't make him stupidly Op'd its due to the fact chakra does not equal stamina or skill. Chakra remember is just a person's lifeforce energy or spirit, which can be increased by external means such as training and growing up. What makes up skill is their chakra control and their physical condition. Both of which our protagonist lacked in the cannon series. (An awesome all ramen diet can do that to ya).**

 **In the series it is also noted that having more chakra as a kid tends to do the opposite of making you OP'd.**

 ***cough* Naruto Ebisu ramen conversation *cough***

 **Similar to a power plant where chakra is the electricity, if the wires and power lines can't handle the load they tend to burn out or combust violently. I personally never liked how inconsistent Naruto's chakra supply was in the series. Especially when they made the excuse he couldn't move from using up his chakra which while as a kid I believed just doesn't make any sense in hindsight. I'm not even going to go into how underwhelming but flashy they made Kurama either.**

 **Also I'm planning on making a pole to see what anyone thinks of about the story, for example: "Should I make Sasuke male or female?" or "Should Mikon take part in the Chunin Exam?"**

 **Well I will be making a Pole as soon as I figure out how to make one.**

 **And with that I'm off to work on the current chapter I'm on with the word "pole" stuck in my head. +best**

 **-White**


	5. Chapter 5

Insert Disclaimer that I do not own Naruto or any anime in existence here.

Thank you and enjoy the Chapter

* * *

Chapter 5 :: Arrival of Power, Shattered Bonds

It was official, Naruto hated hospitals. On top of being the most boring place on the planet, they wouldn't let him leave until they were sure he was fully healed. For the number one training obsessed, unpredictable, and hated ninja in training, having his freedom to act restricted when he felt perfectly fine was agonizing.

Damn it why did he have to blow himself up Naruto wondered in hindsight. If he used his just acquired Shadow Clone Jutsu he could have attempted to out number them. Hell, perhaps he could have used his explosive tags to blow them away... on second thought that was what he did. As Naruto sat cross legged on the hospital bed he started contemplated new methods of using fighting and how to implement the ideas into practice. Thinking aloud Naruto's train of thought eventually left the Taki-nin and focused on the current residency.

"I wonder if the medics can tell the difference between a clone and the original?"

Naruto stopped to when it accured to him the his thoughts had shifted to plans of escape. Not so surprising considering how boring it was there. At least they allowed him to have visitors. It was the only time he wasn't bored out of his mind.

Thinking back to Mikon and Ino's earlier visit that morning and how they yelled at him with tears in their eyes about how reckless he was struck a cord in him. It was the same lecture Iruka gave him the night he woke up and the same one he received from Jiji and some white haired lazy weirdo named Kakashi-something gave him earlier that morning. But their words hit closer to home then he would have liked. Unlike with the adults Naruto felt hurt that he had let them worry so much for him.

In the end he ended up worrying everyone who cared about him and he didn't like that. For some reason it hurt more that they where afraid then the burns themselves. Silently Naruto resolved to never allow that hurt to occur again.

Though being lectured by practically everyone about the use of explosive tags and being too reckless was really starting to grad on Naruto's nerves. At one point it was particularly annoying until he heard of the lectures Mikon received about infiltrating the Hokage mansion and stealing secret, even forbidden jutsu. From what Ino told him, the ANBU had been hounding her for the last week while Naruto was in the Hospital. Naruto nearly bust a gut as his prediction to how Mikon would eventual react to the annoyance came true.

Like he predicted, Mikon grew fed up with their presence and attempted to out run them. Racing across the entire village she used ever method she could think of in an attempt to be rid of her so called observers. Naturally she fail miserably but not before siccing Gamabunta on them and crushing a good sixth of the Nara clan estate.

Naruto's gut actually wrenched open from laughing when he learned of the result of her attempt to get revenge on the Hokage by using the transparency escape jutsu to hide his hat resulted in. Failing naturally and being caught by ANBU was one thing, being caught by Jariaya-ojisan was entirely another punishment. Having been caught and tied up, Jiraiya hung her down from the entrance of the academy as punishment. Normally one would call for child support, but this was Mikon and everyone knew full well her penchant for causing trouble. This truth was reinforced throughout the day as she yelled, screamed, and swore to take revenge by pranking every single ANBU and the Hokage.

When Naruto heard of this the idea stuck in his head and provided a nice distraction from the hospitals boredom. The idea of pranking the ANBU, there was something... he didn't know, inticing about the thought. If they could prank the ANBU then that meant they got one over on the most elite ninja in the village.

His talk with Mikon and Ino about the thought was interesting to say the least. While Ino was against it, she didn't act like it. Exspecially as during the talk she had that creepy grin she had when facing a fun challenge and afterwards where she started training even harder. Almost like she was preparing herself for the pranks to come. Mikon just grinned like a mad women set on world domination.

As the nurse came into his room, Naruto quickly pulled himself out of his thoughts hoping and eagerly waited for her to tell him he could go. That was after all the reason he was sitting up instead of sleeping away his boredom. For the first time in his like he hated being treated like everyone else. The last few times he was in the hospital they kicked him out as soon as they could. For whatever reason they stopped doing so two years ago and it was starting to annoy Naruto. No sooner then the nurse said, "You're good to go" then did Naruto rush out the window flying like the devil was at his heels.

Having just learned how to make a working shadow clone a week ago, Naruto wanted to master the technique as soon as possible and make up a weeks worth of lost time.

First he would make sure he could make a shadow clone whenever he wanted. Then he'd work on his fūinjutsu drills having been unable to do them since the Hokage had taken his book for most of the week. Keeping on that thought he wondered what Jiji meant by "confirming the potential talent of a lost style". Naruto recalled how his Jiji almost made it sound like Naruto was practicing a lost art or something. Wasn't Ojisan also a Fuinjustu master? Regardless Naruto pushed those thoughts aside as the excitement of training flooded his brain once more upon spotting his usual training ground.

Reaching the trio's secret training ground he put his belongings down and moved to the center of the field. "Okay, first off lets make one clone." Naruto said forming the hand signs.

" **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** "

A single clone popped into existence to Naruto's great delight. "Yatta! I really can make clones now. I really am awesome dattebayo." he cried having feared that all that effort was just a fluke. Glad that it wasn't a fluke his excitement got the better of him as he uppercut the clone back out of existance.

Feeling the solid impact of his hand, Naruto was still impressed with the justu in question. The clones weren't just images but solid copies. In hindsight they did carry and move sacks of flour for his counter attack against the Taki ninja so it only made sense.

All the same it got him excited. It was like all his attempts to make a regular Bunshin was him trying to master a B rank jutsu while the Shadow Clone Jutsu was as easy to attempt as a D ranked Jutsu for everyone else. Unable to figure out the reason why he decided to ask Iruka later and focused on his clones for now.

By the end of the second hour of experimentation, Naruto had multiplied by a thirty. If anyone had been watching they'd think they were going crazy. Naruto had tried numerous times to make more clones but it seemed thirty was his limit. As with each time he'd pass out only to awake and wonder when he fell asleep. Only to get up again overstretch his limits and pass out from going to far. Rinse and repeat.

Eventually Naruto realized that while he had plenty of chakra and stamina his body couldn't take the jutsu entirely. It felt like he could mold the chakra but it wouldn't flow properly in mass. Figuring his limit for now was thirty Naruto called an end to the experiment.

Forming the hand seal needed, all Naruto's excluding the original disappeared in a massive puff of smoke. Forming the hand sign once more he poured his chakra into the jutsu and twenty Naruto's appeared at once. At least he could control how many Clones he could make at once.

Still he had to question if the kage bunshin no jutsu really was this really a B rank jutsu? Naruto couldn't believe such an easy jutsu was really B ranked.

Deciding to have some fun and make use of his new numbers, Naruto chose to try out his taijutsu with the clones. "Alright everyone, Its time for the Naruto vs twenty Naruto showdown. Come and give me your best shot!" He shouted form the tree top as he pulled off his orange sweatshirt so as to make himself more distinguishable.

After a good our of doubting without fighting back, slightly exhausted, beaten up, and bruised, Naruto concluded his insane taijutsu practice of punching himself and made the choice to practice his fūinjutsu before finding himself back in the hospital. Searching through his stuff he looked for his journal to get started.

"Its not here…" Naruto mutter, panic setting in as he couldn't find his fūinjutsu journal. "Where did it go... Damn it! That's right. Jiji still has it dattebayo." Naruto grumbled. Making his way to go retrieve it he stopped as a figurative light bulb flickered on in his head. Turing around he formed his hand signs and spawned several clones.

"Shit, I only meant to make one... still need work on the low number range. Alright guys I want one of you to go to Jiji and pick up our fūinjutsu book, another one to get lunch and everyone else do... something else. Lets see just how far we can push the Shadow Clone Jutsu." he shouted as he gave them his commands. "Yosha!" the clones replied as each made their way in a different direction.

Now thinking of what to do while he waited for their return Naruto pulled out an old Kunai. Holding the broken tri-pronged kunai in his hand he smiled at the reminder of a dark time. While the shattered kunai was missing its third prong, the value that it represented was still whole intact. After all to Naruto it was a reminder of the darkest time of his life and the ones who pulled him out of it. Looking up to greet the arrival of Mikon and Ino he internal thanked them for pulling him out.

"Ino-chan! Miko-chan!" he cried out waving at them stashing the rusty kunai back into his bags.

"Naruto-kun!" Ino called back pleased to see him up and about. She didn't like seeing him in the hospital or injured and was a little surprised to see him out already. She had been so worried that he wouldn't recover from his wounds. As she got closer from what she could tell there was no trace of the ordeal at all. Ino was surprised at how little lingering evidence there was on him. From the information her dad had explained, third degree burns usually left scars or heavy traces of their existence after healing. Ino suddenly came to an astonishing realization as she looked at Naruto. How didn't she notice sooner. "Damn it Naruto! Put your shirt on." Ino hissed with her fist razed while blushing slightly at his semi-muscular form. Mikon smirked as despite saying that Ino didn't stop staring at the young eye candy in front of her.

Grinning Naruto put his orange sweatshirt laughing at her blush and not wanting to greet her first. He hadn't noticed his navy blue shirt was torn to bits from his over the top training tournament. Ino watched as he put his shirt on. "When did Naruto get such a nice figure." Ino asked herself ignorant of the pink hue across the brow of her nose.

"Someone likes what they saw." Mikon sang in a whispered tone into Ino's ear. Jumping in shock the action resulted in Ino hastily punching Mikon in the face on reflex. Flying past Naruto and into the padded tree trunk Mikon fell to the ground before she started laughing like a madman... or women.

"Shut it Mikon, its not like that!" Ino shouted all the while blushing. Naruto was confused but decided it was better not to ask, unless he wanted an all expenses payed trip on Ino's one punch express.

"So how was class?" Naruto asked opting for a change in subject. No way was he gonna risk life and limb on a subject that could spark Ino's ire.

"Same old really. Mikon's really starting to get annoyed by everyone fangirling over Sasuke." Ino replied folding her hands behind her trying to act calm, grateful for the change in topic.

"What? You're not into Sasuke anymore?" Naruto asked a little peeved that Ino had a thing for Sasuke in the first place. Still it didn't stop him from noticing the change in tone with how she spoke of him.

Ino giggled picking up on the irritation Naruto expressed whenever the subject of Sasuke popped up. While she knew he'd never admit it she knew he saw Sasuke as a rival and the fact she had liked him bugged him to no end. It really was out of character for Naruto to be irritated by someone but Ino found it amusing all the same.

"Yeah, but this last week was kind of an eye opener." Ino admitted as during Naruto's stay in the hospital she had come to realize several things. The first being the Sasuke had zero interest in anyone, least of all her. Having lost her beer goggles in the chaos of Naruto's injuries and his harsh words about him being a failure, Ino had come to realize just how much of a jerk the guy was. There was also this strange unsettling feeling she now had around him. Around him she now felt an odd, strangely familiarity with him and it unsettled her to no end. Especially now that there was no cause for it.

"Besides I found someone even better then Sasuke-kun." Ino continued on with a lovely smile as she focused on the new star in her life that she had taken for granted. Naruto eyes grew wide as he looked at her with shock.

"Really who is it. Who did you find?" Naruto asked as his curiosity got the better of him. A part of him wanted to know out of curiosity while a less generous side wanted to know to beat the crap out of them. He tried doing so with Sasuke and fail. Naruto was hoping this time it was someone he could easily punch into the ground.

"That's a secret so I can't tell. But if you become the strongest ninja in the village I might decide to tell you." Ino teased. As Naruto deflated at being denied a potential new focus for his irritation that was Ino's love interests, Mikon made here way back over to them fully recovered from her all expense free flight.

Spotting Mikon's approach Ino grinned crookedly. "Speaking of new people, Mikon made a new friend while you where in the hospital." Ino said as she remembered seeing Mikon chasing after another classmate earlier.

Naruto looked up surprised as he grinned at Mikon. "Really, who is it, are they nice?" Naruto asked Mikon.

"Its just Hinata," Mikon quickly answered like it was the least interesting topic they could speak of. "You know the shy girl in class."

"Oh, you mean the weird girl with the pretty white eyes." Naruto confirmed recalling the odd girl who constantly avoided him and fidgeted a lot. "How did you become friends with her?" Naruto asked not able to see the events that lead the loudest person and quietest person in class could became friends. He found it odd especial considering Mikon had a tendency to drive people away with her over the top nature. A fact that made Naruto wonder what the said about him and Ino who where friends with her.

"We… we have similar likes it seems." Mikon started saying as a slight blush creeped over her face. "I happened to see her spying on someone and at first I was angry, but then I got to learn why and from there we hit it off." Mikon explained. "Now we hang out ever so often. Well I help her out and we hang out in return actually, or something like that dettabane."

"By the way Naruto. This is a little off topic but will you be okay?" Mikon asked resting her hands behind her head.

"Yeah the nurse said I'm fully recovered dattebayo." Naruto answered clearly missing what Mikon meant as she shook her head.

"Not what I meant, but that's good to know too. No, I meant about the test tomorrow. You've been out for a week and you haven't been in class so I was wondering if you'd be alright." Mikon explained see as it was no surprise that Naruto didn't know.

A potent silence covered the trio as the color in Naruto's face flushed from his face. Mikon and Ino looked at each other with knowing gazes. Yep, there was no way Naruto was gonna pass the test. He was always the hands on kinda guy, and never was one for lectures or written papers. Even if he was, the test in question was a research test on a famous figure which required reading from the library.

Unless they snuck him into the library, Naruto would have no chance of getting a passing grade. This was mainly due to the library's adamant and aggressive agenda of keep him out of the facility.

Naruto was practically quivering in his jacket. This was the first he had heard about any test. Just as he was beginning to freak out Mikon spoke up in an attempt to calm his nerves.

"Relax Naruto, we'll figure something out. Maybe Ino can help you study" Mikon suggested trying to turn the darkening mood into a lighter one.

"Mikon get real, It's a research based test. I can't help Naruto-kun with the test, but maybe we can sneak him into the library disguised as someone else. If we distract the superintended he might be able to get enough material to barely pass." Ino suggestion. For a second Mikon and Naruto just stared lopsidedly at her. Perhaps they where having too much of a negative influence on her.

In an instant Naruto jump up and hugged Ino and Mikon as tightly as he could. He really couldn't imagine his life without his friends anymore. When he remembered his past he couldn't help but shiver in fear of the dark cold feeling it left behind. But now, no matter what, he had friends that would support him when he was in trouble. Even if in a case like this they couldn't really do anything to actually help.

"Thanks Ino-chan, Miko-chan. You guys are the best friends a guy could ask for." Naruto stated while embracing them with all his strength. He didn't care if they couldn't help because he knew they were always willing to help.

"B-baka, it's what friends are suppose to do. Don't go looking into it." Ino shouted pushing him back as brilliant blush flared up across her face.

Mikon when she was released giggled to hide her disappointment. Sh was however happy to be able to breath again. "Yeah, what she said. Friends help each other. Its what we do." She said with a grin. Internally she wanted to pout, already missing the warmth of the group hug.

"Yeah I know, but I still just wanted to thank you two for everything. I don't know what would have become of me if I didn't meet you two."

Naruto's words carried a trace of fear in his voice. He knew it was foolish to think about what ifs, but he couldn't help it sometimes. Those dark days in the past would always haunt him. Every day where he was treated like a monster.

Closing his eyes the image of a larger orange figure hidden in shadow with piercing red eyes flashed before him. Naruto quickly shook the memory of his nightmare away. He had to focus on the good in his life.

The memory of that nightmare caught him off guard but thankfully Ino or Mikon didn't notice the slight shift in his expression. He'd worry about his dreams when he slept. Right now the problem and question regarding his studies remained; how would he pass the test.

"Still even if you guys help and even if I get into the library, there's still the problem of time how am I suppose to read enough to pass the-" Naruto reasoned before stopping abruptly to clutch his head. It suddenly started pounding and images burst into his mind from out of nowhere. He was in the market and was punched by one of the street merchants while trying to pick up the journal he had gone to retrieve. "What was that?" Naruto wondered.

His sudden silence caused Ino to worry. Normally when someone stopped speaking and starting clutching their head was a bad sign. And anytime Naruto went silent it meant something happened or he realized something. Both happening at once could only be a bad sign. "Naruto is everything okay?" She asked unsettled by the his sudden silence worried for his well being.

"I'm not sure." Naruto said as he spontaneously took off in a mad dash through the forest. Mikon and Ino followed him calling his name in worry but Naruto was oblivious to their cries. Why did he suddenly remember being punched by a merchant. It was like he relived for a brief moment the memory of his clone.

Racing down the street he stopped in front of the merchants stall where his clone had dropped his journal upon being punched. Picked up his book Naruto's brain started piecing together a revaluation. His clone really was there and if it did get dispersed when it was punched, than did that meant he could gain information from his clones? Anything his clones experienced he'd gain too? A giant grin grew across his face.

So enraptured by the ideas pooping into his head, Naruto didn't even notice Mikon shout "Princess Check!" behind him.

Turning around Naruto was greeted with the sight of Mikon slamming a backpack sized toad into his face. Barely focusing on the man screaming in disgust I wasn't hard to ignore the screams of agony as Mikon summoned a larger toad to sit on top of him.

"Naruto-kun what's the matter? You just took off without telling us anything. What gives?" Ino asked thankful for all the physical training she did. She may not have liked physical training because it messed up her appearance, but that didn't mean she wasn't athletic. Thanks to it however she was able to keep up with Naruto and Mikon.

While she was interested to knowing why Mikon had a large toad sitting on the man and was repeatedly forcing him to kiss a smaller toad, she already had a vague idea. Ignoring Mikon who was now threatening to "Princess Check" anyone who came closed to Naruto, Ino tried focused her thoughts and gaze on Naruto. A feat that proved difficult as Mikon was giving off the image a rather angry snapping turtle at the moment.

Noticing Naruto's grin Ino immediately felt relieved before switching worry as it was the same grin he had whenever he had a spark of genius for a prank.

"Looks like someone got a spark of inspiration for his little problem." Ino teased holding back her own grin. Ino could tell he had something big in mind. She watched the gears in his head spinning violently and wondered what was so complicated that he was so lost in thought. If one wished to gauge how big of a plan Naruto was planning they need apply a ruler to his grin.

"Yeah but I'm gonna need some help. Ino-chan can you help me get into the Library later tonight?" Naruto asked. If he was gonna succeed he'd need to cram like no tomorrow and figure out a plan to do it. A plan that revolved around his new jutsu.

"Sure I'll help, but what are you gonna do?" Ino stated without the slightest hesitation. Naruto never had her do anything that would bring shame on her family name or put her into danger so she felt no need to worry. More importantly to her was the mystery of what he had planned.

Grinning he informed Ino, "First I'm gonna ask Iruka-senesi to let us use the Library tonight. Might as well do the right thing first." He hoped Iruka would allow it but figure it wouldn't work. Still over the last week the relationship between him and Iruka had improved greatly and Naruto didn't want to ruin a good thing by ignoring the first teacher to look at him.

Running to the academy hoping to catch Iruka Naruto left behind Ino and Mikon. Even if his idea didn't work at least he'd be able to experience the library in peace for a change.

Ino watched as Naruto raced down the street leaving her behind again. Watching his back for a second she suddenly wondered just how far he'd go. In the pit of her stomach it felt like she was watching him leaving her behind, like he was going somewhere far outside of her reach.

Slapping her cheeks she banished those thoughts deciding to that if she had time to think such depressing ideas she had time to put more effort into her training so as to prevent such a reality.

Deciding to put said thoughts into actions she rush back towards her house. Surely there was more she could do with her families jutsu. She wondered if her dad would help her push the limits of their technique.

Mikon sat on top of her giant green toad which was not trying to make out with the merchant beneath her and watched as the two headed off on their own. "Yo! guys." she cried out in annoyance, "Don't you think you two are forgetting someone?"

Being ignored once again she grumbled at having been left alone as her two friends went their merry way. A scenario that had starting becoming to common place for her tastes.

Underneath her toad the merchant groaned in agony as he tried twisting out of the toad horrifying kisses. Jumping down onto the mans back she put her weight behind he feet causing him to yelp in pain.

"Shut it fake prince!" she growled sticking her tongue out fiercely. Turning her head Mikon spotted a blur of lavender make its way through the street, heading towards where Naruto went. A grin quickly replaced Mikon's annoyed expression at the sight of the blur. "Well at least I'll have something fun to do." she told herself jumping off the groaning merchant.

Chasing after the blur Mikon's suspicions were confirmed instantly at the sight of a shy girl. The lavender jacket dressed girl was currently hiding behind a tree just outside of the academy. Looking past the tree Mikon saw Naruto arguing with Iruka. "Looks like it isn't going well." Mikon confirmed to myself letting a smile break out across her face. "Guess where breaking in tonight."

Looking back at the girl she came up with a delicious idea. Sneaking up behind the girl she brought her finger up to the girl's neck and traced her finger down her spine drawing out a cute shriek of surprise from the girl.

"Hin-a-ta-chan! Found you, dattebane." Mikon sang with a carefree attitude. As she watched to girls exaggerated response she had to admit that surprising the Hyuuga girl had come to be one of her top five favorite activities. Making her like the girl even more was the fact that Mikon was positive that the girl had a crush on Naruto, but decided not to inquire about it less she confirm her own concerns about the matter in the possess.

If Hinata's blush was anything to go by, the girl really had a thing for him which always turned Mikon's stomach slightly.

"M-mi-mikon-chan" Hinata barely stammered out. Her voice was barely audible despite her shock.

"Yo, spying on Naruto again?" Mikon greeted with a small smirk. "Seriously, why don't you just talk to him."

"I t-try t-to, but w-when e-ever N-Naruto-kun… my head g-gets light." Hinata explained. "What if N-Naruto-kun doesn't like me or thinks I'm weird? There isn't anything really good about me."

Mikon scratched the back of her head. At times she just couldn't figure Hinata out. Despite her gifts and potential Hinata always hid and stuttered behind something or someone, usually a tree. In the case of her feelings for Naruto being recognizing Mikon figured she had a better shot at Jiraiya giving up his love of women then Naruto realizing them.

Having only met with Hinata a week ago after bumping into her Mikon honestly didn't know all that much about the girl other then hunch about her feelings for Naruto. Mikon still found it odd that when it came to Naruto she found her tendency of being an unobservant idiot seemed to vanish and be instantly replaced with some all see and knowing gut instinct.

The most recent case being when they met, Mikon had caught Hinata pacing back and forth in the hospital hallway trying to build up the courage to wish the at the time extra crispy boy well. Mikon naturally confronted the _suspicious_ girl which lead to the summoning of several toads and series of potential Hyuuga lawsuits for Jiraiya.

After calming down and decoding the girls stuttering Mikon quickly made the connection and trusted her gut. After the two relaxed and chatted they quickly hit it off and became close friends. The only things that bugged Mikon even then was Hinata's feelings for Naruto and her crippling lack of confidence.

In her own time Mikon used her toad summons to get more info on the Hyuuga. She laughed when she realized just how similar Hinata was to Naruto as both suffered similar emotional scares and burdens. The only difference was how they expressed the stress that came from those burdens.

The girl's shyness wasn't only due to her mother being shy herself, but because of her own family issues behind the scenes. After years of being looked down upon, neglected, beaten, and insulted, Hinata's self esteem was pretty much non existent. Her family thought she was weak and ostracized her for not living up to the Hyuuga name. Turned out it didn't matter which rung of the social latter you fell on, assholes where just about everywhere, even in the noble Hyuuga.

It pissed her off that such a sweet girl like Hinata would be rejected just because of her sweet gentle nature. While Naruto might not have had family, like Hinata, no one acknowledged his own potential or existence. A fact that Hinata in turn seemed to share with him. In this regard Mikon had found she had developed a similar protective and supportive desire around Hinata as she did with Naruto.

"Hinata-chan, If you really don't have anything worth making him notice you," she started saying, quickly muttering "which isn't the case" under her breath, "then the solution is simple. All you have to do is find something that makes yourself worth noticing."

Hinata let Mikon's words sink in for a second as she let her fears and pain weigh down fully on her. She found herself not quite sure how to take Mikon's words. She made it sound so easy. Like she could simply stop being a failure, just like that. How could she? She wasn't like Mikon or Naruto, both of whom displayed traits like being outgoing, confident, and courageous. Traits she felt she lacked. She was just... Hinata, the reject weakling who let down her whole clan by being weak and couldn't live up to her father's expectations.

Sneaking a glance at Mikon, she wondered why she felt that she couldn't believe her words even when she felt such confidence and conviction coming from them.

She liked Mikon's confident and gung-ho nature. No matter who it was or where, she never let what others thoughts about her effect her or her actions. She had a sense of freedom that Hinata was a little envious of. But more then anything she didn't let anyone take that freedom she possessed away. In a way she was like a female Naruto.

Hinata blushed at the thought as several images popped into her head. Mikon held back a giggle as she saw the young Hyuuga's mind fumble about with her words. Grabbing Hinata by the shoulders she figured enough was enough and would force her to accept her words by not give her a say otherwise.

"Hinata, if you're worried about not being worthy then become stronger." Mikon said in a serious tone which caught Hinata by surprise. Tightening her grip she further increased her sway over Hinata by staring straight at her mere inches from her face.

"Naruto's dream is to be Hokage, that's gonna require the support of a lot of people and I know you're gonna be one of the most important people to Naruto. That support will require strength and I am going to help you get it." Mikon said trying her best to ignore the deep crimson blush that practically painted over Hinata's face, positive her own face displayed a similar shade of crimson as well.

"You might think you have nothing to your name that can make you worth while, but you do, so get over it. Unlike everyone else you look at Naruto. You acknowledge him. That's more then most in this damn Village do. Not only that but even if your a failure which isn't the case, you're still a Hyuuga which means you have a talent almost everyone else lacks, the Byakugan. So one way or another I'm gonna make you greater then you already are. Got that, dattebane!"

Hinata just stood still transfixed on Mikon's eyes and words. Mikon's words alone lifted Hinata's spirit greatly but her eyes conveyed a truth she had felt didn't exist. She wasn't worthless.

No one had believed in her before, let alone given her words of confidence to support that belief. She wondered if Mikon really believed in her but once again her eye's and words blew such doubts away.

"Just think of me giving you my help as me selfishly pushing you closer to Naruto. If you accept my help I'll meet you after tomorrow's test by the tree at the Academy entrance. If you don't accept I'll drag you there anyway." Mikon said giving off a cheeky grin.

Turning around and running leaving behind the stupefied and uncertain Hinata. Making her intentions clear Mikon left for two reasons. The first was to not give her a chance to reject her. The second was because Mikon had spotted Naruto running in the direction of their secret training grounds. Failing to get permission from Iruka she figured Naruto was now racing back home to plan for _their_ Plan B The Infiltration of the Academy Library Plan.

Looking back Mikon smiled as she saw Hinata deep in thought, unknowingly carrying a small smile that illuminated and relieved the smallest traces of pride that still existed within deep within her.

In truth Mikon wasn't sure if she could help or not. She had an idea but it barely qualified as anything more then a theory, not even that really. She wasn't smart enough to come up with theories in the first place.

Mikon figured that if Hinata was exposed to her chakra then she could possible improve her Byakugan or something along those lines. In high exposure her chakra could kill and it usually did. But from what Jiraiya had informed her, her chakra agitated the chakra in people causing it to grow more powerful and active.

The result, those people would essentially pop internally by their own chakra. It made more sense to her when Jiraiya explained to her that it was similar to leaving ramen in a microwave for fifteen minutes. Over exposure plus high pressure equals big mess. Even then Mikon didn't fully get it but if she exposed Hinata to low doses then wouldn't that equate to tasty ramen when cooked for three minutes or at a lower wattage? At the very least she wouldn't overcook or anything right?

She wasn't positive if this was the case but it was worth a shot. If it worked, great; If it failed, she would _hopefully_ be using so little that other then wasting Hinata's time nothing bad would come of it.

As Mikon made her way down the street towards Naruto she was caught off guard when a sack was thrown over her and she was lifted off of her feet.

"What the hell!?" Mikon shouted covering her nose from the itch and smell of the sack which reeked of potatoes. Screaming and shouting from within the sack she struggled to break free as an aged and panicked voice commanded her compliance.

"Damn it gaki shut up and stop moving. There's no time and we have to get you out of here!"

To Mikon surprise she recognized the voice as she muttered confusion, "Ero-sennin?" Recognizing the tone which he used only in emergencies and when she was about to lose control complied and waited for him to give her further instructions.

After what felt like an hour Mikon was finally freed from the sack. Much as she suspected the perpetrator was Jiraiya. She was prepared to voice her complaints but held her tongue as she was taken a aback at his appearance. Instead of an old humorous face she was greeted by a toad like version of cerberus with Jiraiya looking like a half man half toad hybrid with two small toads on his shoulders. Mikon had only seen this appearance once before. And knew something big was happening for him to already be in sage mode.

"Greatings Fuka-ji, Shima-chi! It's always nice to see the two of you after being shoved into a potato sack" Mikon said with a hint of sarcasm as she gazed at the two elder toads on Jiraiya's shoulder.

"Haha, yes well forgive us for the less then courteous method of retrieving you little Miko. The situation at hand didn't allow for use to recover you slowly you see." Fukasaku stated calmly.

"Oh shut it Pa, regardless of the situation it's still no excuse to treat a lady like so." Shima argued.

"Now Ma now's not the time to be arguing." Fukasaku said turning to Jiraiya, "Jiraiya-boy, can you tell where the enemy is?"

Jiraiya nodded as the four charged through the forest. Being held under his arm Mikon wondered what was going on. None of it made sense. Jiraiya hated sage mode since it messed up his "good looks" and seeing as they weren't even in combat yet meant he knew something about the enemy which warranted such preparations. Whats more he essentially kidnapped her which didn't make any sense either. If it was just Jiraiya alone Mikon would have suspected a transformation jutsu but since both elders where present that wasn't the case having spent a lot of time dining with the odd couple.

Finally demanding to know whats going on Mikon asked, "Would some one please tell me whats going on. The kidnappee is not happy with her kidnappers keeping her in the dark."

Jiraiya coughed at the bluntness of the girl before explaining the odd state of affairs.

"In short I fucked up. A group of shinobi have learned of your unique chakra and are on their way to kidnap you. Normally this wouldn't pose any major problems except my contact informed me that the skills they uses are unusual to say the least. Not to mention I can feel a major disturbance in the natural energy surrounding us" Jiraiya explained.

"Okay that explains the reason why we're running. It doesn't explain why you had to kidnap me."

Fukasaku sighed in exasperation, "Jiraiya-boy was getting to that. Normally he would have simply send the Hokage a warning and heading back to the Village to provide backup as needed. The problem with that however is that this group possesses what appears to be sage based Justu." the aged toad explained.

"And knowing you, you'd go and do something reckless. So instead of giving you the chance to screw around I simply took you." Jiraiya finished off saying.

Mikon thought about what they said and it made sense. Anyone who used Sage Arts would indeed be too much for the village to handle, a group even more so. As skilled as Ero-sennin was Mikon knew that protecting her, the village, and fighting a group of sages would be next to impossible. But that left her wondering why bring her out closer to the danger. She looked into Jiraiya's eyes and she notice his eyes reflected her train of thought.

"There's something else isn't there." Mikon inquired. It was only hunch by the moment Jiraiya stiffened for a brief second confirmed her suspicions.

"Why drag me with you into danger if you where planning to intercept them before they could bring me harm?" Mikon asked voicing her own doubts.

Jiraiya's bit his lip. It looked like something was eating away inside of him, something he wanted to say but couldn't find the right words for. Thankfully for him Fukasaku spoke up.

"There is. There is a possibility they know the secret behind your chakra." he explained.

"Secret?" Mikon asked.

"Yes. Your chakra is special, but more importantly it is tied strongly with your lineage and to who you are." Shima explained. "This connection is incredibly dangerous. Its so dangerous that we have been keeping it from everyone and especially from you. If we told you what it was in all likelihood you would lose track of who you are." Shima explained.

"That's why I'm bringing you with me. To explain this fact to you and to prevent the village from being attacked." Jiraiya finished with a tone that Mikon felt held regret. "All I ask is that you trust me right now and not seek out the truth until the time is right to tell you." Jiraiya said praying that the troublemaker under his arms would agree to let sleeping dogs lie.

Mikon wasn't sure what to make of all this. What connection did her chakra have to her past. What was her lineage? Taking a breath she looked at her father figure hoping for more answers. Despite his toad like features she could tell that whatever this connection was it weighed heavily on the old man's mind. At first she wanted to demand the answers but the image of her first friend bleeding out in front of her stayed her words.

"Answer me this much at least. Does this connection have anything to do with my real parents?" Mikon asked. She watched as Jiraiya breath hitched in response to her question. Slowly he nodded in response. Mikon watched carefully as the man who raised her struggled with the truth he was keeping from her. Looking down she complied with their wishes feeling the honesty right now was more then enough to continue trusting them.

"Okay. I won't ask. Just promise me you'll tell me everything. Secrets aren't really your thing... Tou-san."

Jiraiya looked down at Mikon in surprise. In all the years she was with him not once had she ever called him Tou-san. As tears threatened to escaped the sage's eyes only his training as a shinobi kept his composure together. A feat that was hard due to his won personal feelings to the blonde and what she meant to him. In the end however his efforts in controlling his emotions was rewarded as Shima shouted in his ear, "I spot the enemy, straight ahead of us!"

Jiraiya mentally prepared himself for battle as he loosened his grip on Mikon. "Mikon, I'm gonna need you to hold onto my back for the duration of the fighting. Can you do that?" he asked to which Mikon nodded quietly. As she crawled up onto his back Jiraiya was grateful for the girls understanding of situations. Her childhood may have been painful and harsh but thanks to them she knew when to fool around and when to comply with those that fought to protected her.

Mikon quickly grasped his back holding on with chakra. As they moved into battle Mikon couldn't help be feel the warmth of Jiraiya's back flow into her. His hair which was like a spiky pillow, embraced her protectively as she allowed his warmth to comfort her worries that battle often brought her. As Mikon held on, Jiraiya directed his own focus to the three shadows in front of him, the presence of Mikon on his back a remind of what he was fighting to protect.

The first enemy to appear into view was a short kid with short spiky dark hair. He wore a black haori which had a white snowflake pattern with the number ten on its back. Underneath the haori he wore a white kimono with a turquoise snow pattern that matched the kid's eyes. Looking at the kid Jiraiya wondered if he was Mikon's age though he looked to be a bit older then her.

The second figure to reveal themselves was that of a women. Though Jiraiya could only guess that it was a women from the sent of what he recognized as white lily perfume. The figure in question was clad in the strangest armor he had ever seen. The entire suit was form fitting and entirely made of a black metal. The only part that wasn't black or metallic was the long flowing blue hair protruding out from the crown of the helmet and the twin red ribbons flowing out and down her back from her shoulder plates. The heavy armor covered her entire body reveling no openings to exploits that Jiraiya could see.

Jiraiya had never seen such armor before let alone heard of anyone who would wear such encumbering armor. He heard rumors of similar style of armor far to the west but had never seen it to confirm if they were one and the same.

And finally the last of the group to arrive was a tall red headed man who practically loomed over all of them. Standing at what looked to be nine feet tall, the red haired giant practically screamed muscle power. Wearing reddish pants that appeared to be heavily reinforced leather he also wore a tight form fitting Samurai chest plate that covered all of his chest and shoulders. He wore boots of metal which forced themselves heavily into the ground with each step. But his most defining feature was his helmet and arms. The man's helmet was practically a solid dome and was latched tightly onto his chest piece. His muscular form was so massive that Jiraiya wondered if he was actually human since his muscles seemed to have muscles that had muscles.

"So... who the hell is this freak?" The tall muscular one stated looking down at Jiraiya. He waited for a second before speaking up again this time his irritation bleeding out. "Oy! Toshiro! Stop ignoring me you shrimp!"

The black haired kid nearly burst a vain when the hulking man called him a shrimp. In a deeper and more mature voice then Jiraiya was expecting Toshiro angrily said, "Shut it Zangai. It doesn't matter who he is but who he's caring. Our target is on his back. Damn it. And the other guy just had to go on ahead without us. The damned idiot."

Jiraiya's ears perked up at this bit of information as he stared at the trio. "Damn this meant one of them made it past him at some point." he screamed to himself in his head.

"Jiraiya-boy." Fukasaku whispered into Jiraiya's ear to which the man nodded in understanding, "Yeah I know Boss," Turning to Shima he said, "Ma'am."

Shima quickly pulling free from his shoulder and simply replied already knowing what his wishes where, "I'm on it." As she hopped of he shoulder and raced in the direction of the Leaf Village Jiraiya quickly pulled his focus back on the three threats ahead of him not having the freedom to focus on the fourth behind him.

Noticing the two enemies where still arguing, Jiraiya focused on trying to identify them. Sensing Natural Energy he focused his mind and noticed that the three of them were drawing in or expelling Natural Energy from their surroundings or into them while still moving.

How was this possible? They where moving around even flexing and flailing their arms yet they where still drawing in Natural Energy.

"Boss, these people are-" Jiraiya started saying but was cut off by Fukasaku.

"Yes I know Lad. The one in the black armor in particular is drawing in a huge amount of Natural Energy. Stay on your guard." Fukasaku warned. From what he could sense the Black Armored individual seemed to be the most dangerous but couldn't figure out why since just drawing in Natural Energy didn't make one an absolute threat unless they could use it.

"Fuck you Toshiro. Lets hurry up so we can settle this properly." Zangai shouted drawing the attention of Jiraiya and Fukasaku.

Toshiro nodded reluctantly in agreement, "Fine. The sooner we're done here the better." he stated wishing to be done with the loud mouth once and for all. Clapping his palms together he pulled his hands apart as ice crystals formed around his body and took the shape of two serpentine dragons of ice. With a swift motion of his hands the twin dragons charged at Jiraiya who jumped back gracefully as the ice hit the ground where he had stood freezing everything around the spot instantly.

Noticing this and Zangai who started to charge, Jiraiya nodded at Fukasaku who in timing with Jiraiya spat out a stream of oil which merged with the fire Jiraiya began spewing. The engulfing inferno swallowed up the ice as well as Zangai who charge headlong into the flames.

Landing on the ground Jiraiya started forming hand seals for his next attack but switched to defense when the hulking mass that was Zangai appeared from out of the flames. Slamming into Jiraiya he smashed Jiraiya though everything in his path be it trees or boulders. Nothing seemed to hinder his momentum.

Grunting in pain as his hair shielded him from the impacts, Jiraiya attempted to focus his chakra in order to gain control over the situation.

"Jiraiya-boy!" Fukasaku cried out as he noticed Jiraiya's predicament. Puffing up his cheeks Fukasaku spit out a powerful stream of water that blasted Zangai backwards through the flaming oil and off Jiraiya. "Jiraiya-boy, are you alright?" Fukasaku asked.

"Yes" Jiraiya coughed out, "But more importantly what about Mikon?" Jiraiya asked more worried about his passenger who would have taken most of the damage from the attack.

Surprisingly Mikon was still holding onto his back no worse for wear thanks to his quick defense. "I'm fine," Mikon replied, "Your Hari Jizō protected me for the most... HEAD UP!"

J/N: Needle Jizō

Responding to Mikon's warning Jiraiya jumped out of the way as another dragon of ice crashed down freezing the area in stalagmites of ice. Just as the Ice formed Zangai charged through the ice shattering it completely ignoring the fact he smashed his way though what was essentially a solid spiky wall of ice a good five meters thick.

Prepared this time Jiraiya focused his sage chakra into his leg and clipped Zangai in the neck with a round house. The sound of bones breaking echoed as Zangai was sent fly at his frosty partner who dodge him elegantly before sending another wave of ice dragons at Jiraiya.

Dodging these with easy Jiraiya landed on a tree branch and send another surge of flaming oil at Toshiro. Seeing that the two didn't have that big of an advantage over them Fukasaku seemed to relax as he stopped spewing oil. With their team work Zangai was sent flying and the one called Toshiro was engulfed in fiery oil.

"I doubt we've won yet but at least the big one doesn't seem to be to much of a problem." Fukasaku stated observantly as neither enemies seemed to be well trained in the sage arts.

"I wouldn't be to sure about that." Jiraiya said as he crouched down to hide from view of his opponents.

Fukasaku was confused by this statement and asked Jiraiya, "What do you mean by that Lad?"

To the Toad's surprise Mikon spoke up in Jiraiya's stead, "He means that big guy is a lot tougher then he seems. That kick broke Ero-sennin's leg."

True to her words, Fukasaku looked down and to his shock Jiraiya's right leg which had landed a solid blow to the man's throat was swollen and already a vibrant angry blackish color. Fukasaku was dumbfounded. How could Jiraiya have broken his leg from landing a solid kick with sage chakra on the man's neck. Looking up the trio spotted Zangai getting back up and to the elderly toads great disbelief didn't have a scratch on him.

"Impossible, the man charged through fire and ice, took your kick to the throat unprotected and there's not a scratch on him." Fukasaku stated voicing his disbelief.

"I know," Jiraiya said in agreement before turning his gaze towards Toshiro, "And that guy's not even fighting at full power."

Ducking down as a random blast of ice encased the tree they where standing on Jiraiya pointed out what he meant to Fukasaku. Directing the toads attention towards the ground beneath the Toshiro Fukasaku noticed what Jiraiya meant. Underneath Toshiro was a slowly ever expanded coat of ice inching its way outward along the ground from him.

"Now I see," Fukasaku exclaimed. "These two aren't gonna be so easy to deal with."

Jiraiya nodded in agreement. "You mean three, right? Although we've been lucky that the third one hasn't jumped in yet, I don't think I'll be able to take that black one on with two distractions." Jiraiya said motioning to the Black Armored knight who was still sucking in huge quantities of Natural Energy but had yet to move an inch from where she stood. "I got a bad feeling from that one in particular." Jiraiya stated as he felt a shiver down his spine as he stared into it's visor. For a second he could have sworn he saw a flash of red from within.

Jumping from the tree he was standing on as Zangai smashed into it turning its base into splinters, Fukasaku dropped a smoke bomb as Jiraiya used his Transparency Escape Jutsu to hide.

When the smoke clear the two assailants cursed, one more loudly then the other. "Damn freak stop running and fight me!" Zangai shouted as he started smashing everything he could get his fists on.

"Damn it. Where did he go?" Toshiro asked as a hidden Jiraiya snuck behind him while Fukasaku prepared their sneak attack.

Sensing the imminent danger Toshiro spun around to jump back but was caught off guard as a spiraling ball of chakra was thrust into his gut. "Shi-" was all he could mutter as Jiraiya shouted, " **Rasengan**!"

As the ball of chakra tore him apart sending him flying, Fukasaku shot a stream of water to counter Zangai's sudden charge. Unfortunately the bast of water missed and Zangai slammed into Jiraiya unimpeded. As the stream diverted it sliced off Toshiro's arm sending it flying off into the distance.

"Damnit!" Jiraiya growled out as he felt his should blade shatter from the impact. Quickly swinging his arm he grabbed Zangai and flung him over his shoulder. In mid swing Jiraiya swore as he coughed up blood due to the damage taken.

"God damn how heavy is this guy?"

Tossing the man Jiraiya watched as he fell to the ground creating a large crater where he landed. What the hell kind of human creates a crater like that just form falling. The man had to weight at least a thousand pounds Jiraiya thought.

As they watched him get back up to they weren't surprise this time to see that he wasn't even harmed. Forming another rasengan in his hand Jiraiya leaped into the air as it grew larger and larger. With a shout Jiraiya plunged it into the man hoping to finish him.

" _ **Senpō: Chō Ōdama Rasengan"**_

J/N: Sage Art: Massive Rasengan

The super sized Rasengan devastated the landscape throwing earth and debris everywhere. Jiraiya lept back preparing for Zangai's to make another impossible recovery. Taking aChō Ōdama Rasengan head on and still being able to walk was unheard of but considering everything he had seen Jiraiya wouldn't put it past the freakishly large man to do just that.

True to form and just as predicted Zangai stood up again, unscathed and unharmed.

"Is that the best you got freak?" Zangai shouted mockingly, "There's nothing in this world that can hurt me. Get it yet? I'm invulnerable, not even that Hyuuga gentle fist style you all are so proud of can hurt me."

Jiraiya didn't care if his boast where true, from what he was seeing he had no reason not to believe his boasting. One way or another he had to find a way past his defenses. Internally Jiraiya was starting to panic a little as everything he had seen had indicated that the man really was invulnerable. He could try summoning the great fire breathing mountain toad to trap him but something told Jiraiya that wouldn't work either. Racking his brain Jirayia was pulled from his dilema by Mikon tugging at his hair.

"Hey! Ero-jiji." Turning his head Jiraiya saw Mikon attempting to get his attention glaring at him with eyes filled with determination.

"Jiji throw me." Mikon said to which Jiraiya looked at her blankly. Did she just tell him to throw her?

Unsure of if he heard her right he asked still doubting his own ears, "Say that again."

Mikon sighed as she pointed at Zangai firmly telling Jiraiya clearly as she could, "Throw me at him."

Fukasaku choked on his breath as he looked stupefied at the girl. "Are you insane child. That man has taken every hit we've thrown at him with not so much as a scratch what could you-" He started shouting but was cut of when Mikon said, "Everything but me." she stated proudly jabbing her chest.

Pointing again at Zangai she explained, "Taijustu and ninjustu do nothing and none of us can use genjutsu. But we can still try using my chakra right?"

It was at these words that it clicked and Fukasaku understood the girls plan. If Zangai really was immune to all foreign attacks then using Mikon's unique chakra could work by turning his own chakra against him. Still the aged toad knew such an attempt held great risk.

"Are you sure. There is a good chance you can be seriously hurt." Fukasaku asked, concerned for the girls safety. He knew this was their best chance since without Ma around to aid in genjustu they truthfully had no way of stopping him. Mikon's chakra if unleashed on the man could in theory cause his chakra to go out of control. Perhaps even effecting the balance of natural energy in his body allowing them to defeat him.

"No way its too dangerous." Jiraiya countered refusing to risk harming Mikon with such a gamble. He quickly thought up another plan and forming hand seals slamming the ground with his hands.

" **Doton: Yomi Numa"** Jiraiya shouted as Zangai was swallowed up by a dark muddy bog. Much like Fukasaku figured even ensnaring justu had no effect as the trio watch Zangai charge his way out of the swamp as if it was swimming pool. The sight left the two sages stunned, It was like this man simply ignored everything and couldn't be stopped. While the Dark Swamp should have removed any foot hold for the man to move with it was like the freak of nature didn't care about such things and kept on moving. Not even air seemed to be a concern as before falling in he swallowed the swamp and had no air to speak of before resurfacing from the swamp. "This man really is a inconceivable" Fukasaku thought not believing his eyes, "This human flies in the face of reason."

J/N: Earth Style: Dark Swamp

"Jiji please trust me on this, I can help." Mikon pleaded. Jiraiya looked at her with pang of guilt. How could he let her willingly through herself at the man. It was one thing to fight a ninja of equal or near equal standing. Even far stronger opposites where okay. But those who used Natural energy were on a whole different level. And even with his sage jutsu supporting his defense left him with several severally shattered bones.

"Lad, lets trust in the girl. For all purposes considered she is trusting us even when she should be cursing us for keeping secrets from her. If she can trust us then lets trust her as well." Fukasaku said wisely trying to convince Jiraiya to trust Mikon's strategy. His words hit Jiraiya hard as he flinched at the truth spoken. Looking at Mikon worry coursed through him as he feared what failure could entitle.

"Come on Jiji, show some guts. Even if it doesn't work I know you'll save me." Mikon reassured him with a massive grin. Jiraiya features relaxed as he smiled in response. How was he suppose to win against that he wondered. Letting out a sigh he knew she was right. Being a ninja meant challenging the odds and never giving up and he was the one constantly telling her to do just that. Now was the time to practice what he preached.

"Ok, I'm gonna move in close. When I do I want you to grab onto him and unleash as much of your chakra on him as you can. On my signal got it?" Jiraiya said telling Mikon the battle plan. When she nodded in agreement Jiraiya crouched down on all fours and lept at Zangai. Dodging his fist Jiraiya swung on his arm as he positioned himself in mid air for Mikon to latch onto Zangai's back.

Using Jiraiya as a spring board she jumped off and grabbed onto Zangai's back. The man shouted in surprise which quickly turned into shouts of protest as he tried to be-rid of his hitchhiker. Mikon held on as Jiraiya lept back to a safe distance. The moment he felt he was safe he shouted at Mikon to act.

"Go for it gaki!"

At his words Mikon released as much of her chakra as she could squeeze out. In a burst of ethereal white-ish blue chakra Zangai and Mikon illuminated the entire forest with a bonfire of chakra. Mikon's eyes glowed a brilliant turquoise as the air grew hot and twisted from the release. The twisting air grew more intense it looked like space was distorted as Zangai stopped his protests and started to shake. Already he could feel something was very wrong.

"W-what's going on? What are you doing?" he shouted. Receiving no response the large man tried again to remove Mikon from his back as he slowly began to loose his ability to move. Unbeknownst to the man Mikon's plan was working as her chakra agitated his own. The delicate balance between chakra and natural energies stated to shift and the effects where starting to appear.

Inches away from reaching her, Zangai felt Mikon jump off willingly just in time for a highly compact and supercharged rasengan to be shoved into his gut by the great toad sage. To the trio's delight not only was the man suffering from Mikon's chakra but as a bonus the jutsu did lasting damage as it tore through his flesh. They watched Zangai scream in pain as he was sent flying into a boulder. Embedded in the rock Zangai passed out as the damage he took knocked him out.

"Incredible..." Fukasaku stated in amazement, " how is he still alive after that hit?"

Zangai still breathing with a hole through his stomach was unconscious and unmoving as whatever damage he took seemed to finally have incapacitated him. Unsure if it was Mikon's actions or the shock from his Rasengan Jiraiya didn't know and frankly he didn't care.

Jiraiya shook his head not fully grasping the man's powers or how he was still alive. In the end it didn't matter, one was down and two where left. "Whatever the case this battle isn't over yet." he said turning to face Toshiro who was now climbing over a pile of rubble that Zangai created earlier. The boy witnessing his allies condition seemed almost as pleased at it as he was annoyed by it.

"Figures the fool would get taken out first." Toshiro stated with an air of cold appreciation that matched his facial expression. Turning to face Jiraiya a thirst for blood radiated off the chill child. "I'm gonna enjoy repaying you for my arm." the boy stated motioning to the stump that once was where his arm was. At present it was encased within a prison of deep red ice.

"Fighting us one handed doesn't seem all the smart brat." Jiraiya taunted confident that he could beat an opponent that could bleed.

No sooner did he finish the sentence did Toshiro screamed out, "Who are you calling Brat!"

Releasing a flash of chakra the entire forest area was encased in ice as it radiated outward from Toshiro. Jiraiya jumping just in the nick of time watched as the stump in his should that was covered in ice started to grow creating an arm completely formed out of ice.

Jiriaya and Fukasaku watched dumbfounded. This boy was just as absurd as his partner. Without so much as a hand sign and nothing but chakra he froze the clearing and created an arm out of ice. Just who the hell where these guys the two asked themselves.

Raising his new icy hand up Toshiro whispered with a cold icy stare, " **Hyōton: Tōketsu Fukyū** "

J/N: Ice Style: Frozen Decay

At his words a surge of snowy wind blew forth from his icy hand radiating out in all directions, swallowed the entire forest before him. In an instant a cold frosty steam covered the landscape blinding everything from sight. As it started to dissipate Toshiro calmed himself before brushing off several large traces of ice that covered his body.

Lowering his arm down Toshiro observed as the ice encased forest slowly started to come into view. In moments everything began to crack and splinter apart as the frozen structures that where once trees rocks and everything in between, disintegrate into shards of ice crystals and dust. From within the frozen landscape a single round structure remained and from it exploded out Jiraiya. Emerged from what looked to be frozen shell of flesh the toad sage and his comrades appeared unharmed though clearly cold from the experiences.

"That was close. If I didn't summon the great fire-breathing toad's esophagus we'd all be dead." Jiraiya stated, returning his gaze around him observing the catastrophic damage of the enemies jutsu. From what he could tell everything within a half mile was frozen solid and destroyed upon shattering apart.

"Even so, this jutsu is pretty effective and dangerous. I've never heard of an ice user with this much power before." He stated. Standing in the white pasture of ice that was once a booming forest Jiraiya turning his gaze onto Toshiro and asked, "Tell me, are you part of the Yuki clan?"

Before he could respond however a cold chill that had nothing to do with the temperature bathed the landscape as a surge of murderous intent surged over Jiraiya.

"W-what the hell," Jiraiya stuttered as he felt the heavy blood-lust that seemed to saturate the air and crush him.

"Jiraiya-boy!" Fukasaku shouted grabbing the sage's attention to Mikon who was practically choking on the blood-lust that permeated the atmosphere. Acting quickly Jiraya knocked Mikon out before she did choke to death. Bring her up to his ear her confirmed she was breathing again before laying her down. Turning to face the source of the blood-lust Jiraiya braced himself for combat once more. This time he wasn't so willing to do so. In all his years he had never experienced a blood lust that could instill such fear withing him before. Not even the Kyuubi's killing intent could match this individuals. As for as Jiraiya was concerned it was like night and day.

Along with Toshiro both Jirayia and Fukasaku identified the sources of the ki as the black armored individual that stood in the same spot when they started, seemingly unaffected by the ice attack.

However the air around her was far more potent and filled with her killing intent. The clear shiny armor now dim and oily was leaking a foul black mist of natural energy which was clearly scaring the aged toad on Jiraiya's shoulder. But the most noticeable change was the visor of her helmet. Where it was dark and empty, preventing anyone from seeking its contents before, was now glowing a murderous red.

Jiraiya watched as he heard what almost sounded like moans of pain and anguish coming from the individual. He watched as the plate segments started to shake and twitch along with its hosts movements, slowly becoming more violent as time passed. Jiraiya braced himself for a fight that right now he was beginning to doubt he could win. Whoever was in there was literally shivering in anticipation for conflict in the same way he was shivering from both cold and fright.

But to Jiraiya and Fukasaku's surprise Toshiro froze his comrade in a block of ice ending the flood of ki. Shifting their gaze on the boy's exhausted expression, the two braced themselves for a fight when he turned to face them. His expression no longer held any malice or hostile intent as he starting to talk again.

"Looks like I have to pull out here. If Fukushū starts acting up know... well, we'll end up losing the girl. We were only hired to retrieve the girl not kill her. I personally don't like needless killing so if I leave Zangai and the girl would you mind letting me retreat with this frozen disaster here? It would end up really bad should she start rampaging here." Toshiro asked as he pointed to the black night then Mikon and then to Zangai in succession.

Jiraiya skeptically asked, "You're expecting me to believe you're just going abandon your target after everything that's happened?"

Toshiro ponder this for a moment and nodded in understanding. "I understand, then if I tell you of my employer would you consider my request as an honest one?" he stated leaving Jiraiya to gaze at him with shock. This kid was going to snitch out his employer, just like that?

When Jiraiya failed to respond Toshiro contained speaking.

"Our employer is a high ranking noble within Iwa's Daimyo Court. Rumors of this girls unique chakra reached his ears and he hired us to retrieve her alive for study. His agreement with us is void in any case since he failed to mention how unique this girls chakra is. Besides his instructions were pretty vague. Grab the blonde girl who's always hanging around the boy with whiskers on his face. Besides the only reason we took the mission was to see if the girl was the person we're searching for." Toshiro explained.

Hearing this made Jiraiaya feel like a stone was just dropped in his stomach. That meant that whoever was left was going after Naruto. Knowing the kid he'd stop at nothing to keep Mikon safe... as well as Ino... shit. Jiraiya realized whoever hired these guys didn't have very good intel and had just doomed two people to danger. Naruto hung around two blonds... which meant they could end up attacking Ino as well. Watching Toshiro carefully Jiraiya was tempted to accept as if he left if would allow him to check on Naruto and Ino. However he still had to be cautious in case it was a trick.

Sighing Toshiro looked annoyingly at Zangai. "The only reason we took this job was because we needed the cash to feed ourselves and to find someone. If you take Zangai with you then that pretty much solves our food problem, you know with less mouths to feed. Besides kidnapping little girls isn't my thing." Toshiro stated as he turned away, no longer waiting for an answer. Grabbing his frozen ally, Fukushū, he proceeded to leave. Seeing that the Sage wasn't fallowing he continued his retreat.

Pleased that the toad sage was not following he took one last glance at Mikon. Muttered under his breath he said to himself, "At least that isn't my style, but if the girl is who I think she is then we may have found our real prize already." he muttered pausing quickly to glance at the Fukushū. "Which means revealing Fukushū's power now would be a poor decision on my part, especially if we end up having to fight her, let alone him."

Picking up pace Toshiro fled as the image of a blond man with a a large tomb with a eight trigram reaper death seal marking on its cover crossed his mind. Hopeing he wouldn't have to fight the man he made is retreat from the frozen wasteland.

Watching the boy take off with his frozen companion Jiraiya quickly realized that he was truly retreating and it was no trick. Not questioning his good luck he picked up Mikon and carried her as he rushed back to the village.

"Hurry Lad, there still one more to take care of and judging from his words they might-" Fukasaku said once again getting cut off by Jiraiya.

"I know. We have to hurry. I only hope Ma got to the village in time." Jiraiya said as he pushed is legs to move faster, A feat that was quite painful thanks to one of them being broken. Passing by some ANBU Jiraiya quickly instructed them to retrieve Zangai's body and continued his advance towards Naruto, Ino, and Konoha.

As he approached the village Mikon began to come to and felt a strange sensation fill her. As she looked at the village she felt a sense of forbidding ill looming within the large gates. Pushing the thoughts from her mind she shrugged it off as her still being shaken from the encounter with the armored shinobi. She shivered and clutched Jiraiya, her touch practically screaming for his strength and comforting presence.

Sensing Naruto's presence Jiraiya headed towards the academy unaware of what he would find. Mikon still grasping Jiraiya felt a sickening sensation from the gate worsen as it crumbled into her stomach and fester there inside her. Something bad happened and she couldn't tell what it was. She just knew that her gut was screaming at her.

Upon arriving at Naruto's location Mikon realized that it wasn't a disaster but a nightmare. There laying on the ground was the forth shinobi that went ahead of the others, lying dead on the ground torn asunder as if shredded apart by the claws of a beast.

Leaning against the wall of the Academy was a blood soaked Naruto who besides the look of distraught terror he expressed looked perfectly fine to Mikon. At least that was the case until she saw what was cradled in his arms.

Ino who upon first glance appeared to be asleep was in fact bleeding profusely. From one particularly open wound on her back. A quick glance from Jiraiya told him all he needed to know, the wound was critical and the girl was dying.

"Mikon summon Bunta and get ready to fly." Jiraiya ordered her to do as he grabbed Ino carefully from Naruto as the boy limply let her go hunching over. Jiraiya felt sick to his stomach leaving the boy here but if he didn't leave now Ino could very well die.

Turning around to see Gamabunta preparing to complain to Jiraiya was cut down when the sage yelled, "Get me to the Hospital now! I'll deal with your complaints later."

Fukasaku joined in as he commanded the giant toad with a tone of urgency, "Bunta-boy do as he says, this child will die if we hesitate."

Noticing the respected elder sage Fukasaku, Gamabunta stifled his complaints as he nodded and lifted Jiraiya, Mikon, and Ino onto his head.

"Jiraiya-boy I'll look after Naruto-boy." Fukasaku stated leaping off Jiraiya's shoulder and sitting beside the mentally shattered boy who seemed oblivious to the situation.

Not wasting anymore words and with all haste Jiraiya, Mikon, and Gamabunta, rushed Ino to the Hospital where she went straight into operation which would lasted until the next day.

 **-Konoha Hospital-**

Sixteen hours past since Jiraiya and Mikon found Ino bleeding out in Naruto's arms. She had successfully made it through surgery but was still in a precarious state. Currently behind held in the intensive care ward all that separated Mikon from her lifetime rival was a solid panel of glass.

Mikon stared at the blonde who looked like something she would expect from one of Orochimaru's experiments. Tubes, pumps, IV's, and seals hung, coated, and laid all over the isolated medical room as seven medical ninja constantly supported and monitored her condition. Now with all the blood cleaned away the girl looked like she was in blissful sleep in a Frankenstein's monster kind of way.

She recalled the medical report and while she didn't understand most of it remembered it word for word. Massive internal bleeding, numerous hairline fractures along her entire skeletal structure, A shattered femur, seven broken ribs, a punctured lung, every ligament in her left arm was torn in some manner, blunt force trama to the head, shoulder and left hip, and that was just the normal stuff.

Thanks to Konoha's specialty in medicine all of those injuries had been fix or where in the process of healing naturally. The biggest problem now was the wound on her back. Resembling a hybrid of a claw scratch and being buffed by sandpaper, the wound on Ino's back radiated a foul chakra that was eating at her from the inside. Worse part of the wound was its location, just above her spinal cord. Because of it's location and the foul chakra emanating from it, the medics couldn't reach a serious wound on her T4 and T5 thoracic vertebrae.

Worse still was the chakra seemed to be burning the surrounding cell around the scarring wound. If the medics couldn't heal it soon or at least prevent the deterioration from the chakra then Ino could very well fine herself paralyzed, ending her career.

Mikon knew better then anyone what highly potent chakra could do to the human body and was worried most about this wound. Looking through the window she wondered if Naruto suffered from a similar chakra potency that she did.

Her heart sank as Naruto entered her thoughts. The boy in question was locked inside an iron shell, completely withdrawn and empty. One look in his eyes and you could see that there was no one home as whatever happened had left him shell shocked. Mikon was unsure which worried her more, Ino's wound or Naruto's mentality.

In the end she chose to stick around to look after Ino, a decision she was beginning to regret despite the fact that regardless of who she stuck with she could do nothing to help either of them.

As a result Mikon thought it was better for someone unaffiliated with him to cheer him up since she figured a friend doing it would just be a reminder of what happened to Ino. Even if she did reach him Mikon was sure he'd put on that fake smile to calm her worries and hide again in the recesses of his mind.

Mikon decision to stay was also due to meeting up with Hinata who by chance had heard what had happened to Ino. Begging her to help Naruto she somehow convinced her to simply stay with him and provide him some form of company and support. The shy girl reluctant believing she couldn't do anything to help eventually agreed and went to look at Naruto.

"Knowing her she's probably hiding behind some tree." Mikon spoke aloud to herself as she imagined Hinata spying on her crush.

Pulling herself from the glass she knew that after watching Ino for hours nothing would change by her staying there. Leaving she went off to look for Naruto hoping if nothing else to help Hinata help him. Heading toward every spot she could think of and turning up empty handed, Mikon went to Ichiraku Ramen to see if he had stopped by.

When Ayame informed her she hadn't seen Naruto since yesterday Mikon remembered their hideout and rushed to her house. Noticing the barrier was down she made her way to the special training grounds and much like her hunch found Naruto huddled in their secret-base, with Hinata sitting beside him.

Preparing to reveal herself she stopped as she looked into Naruto's eyes from a distance. There was a slight trace of hope shining behind his hooded eyelids.

Mikon smiled as she looked at Hinata who simple sat next to Naruto not say a word as she twirled her fingers in embarrassment. "Nice one Hinata, I knew I could count on you." Mikon whispered as she headed back to Ino, confident that Naruto was in good hands.

It might have not been what most people would have done but from what she saw the quiet company and compassion the Hyuuga presented was just what Naruto needed.

 **-Hokage Office-**

"And you're sure the analysis is correct." The old man asked with a stern stare at the medical ninja before him. The man nearly buckled under the stern gaze of the Hokage but answered clearly.

"There's no mistaking the autopsy. The ninja in question was killed by over exposure to the Kyuubi's chakra entering his system on top of numerous lacerations and blunt force trauma." the medic confirmed repeating his findings on the corpse that was delivered to him by Jiraiya.

Hiruzen looked down at his own copy of the report as he turned to glare at the medic in front of him. In a cold voice with no compassion or mercy he sternly informed, "This information is now S ranked and its not to leave this room. You are to explain to your team that if any of this leaks out to anyone other then myself, Rank be damned I'll castrate all of you and insure none of you live long enough to regret it. Do I make myself clear?"

The man nodded understanding the implications of the Hokage's order and knew just how far the Hokage was willing to go to secure the information presented. Seeing the man nod Hiruzen calmed composed himself and gestured for the medic to leave.

"Once you're done with the autopsy bring me your findings on the body of the one called Zangai." Hiruzen commanded. With a half-hearted gesture for the medic to leave him Hizuzen waited to be left alone. As the man left without a word Hiruzen looked at the two reports laying before him. The first was of the Ninja that was reported to have attacked Naruto and Ino. The second was the medical examination report on Ino's injuries. Staring at the reports Hiruzen's mind struggled to comprehend the mysterious events that had transpired outside the Academy. Without Naruto or Ino to report what happened the Hokage was left with guesses as to what had transpired.

From what he could tell the Kyuubi was involved somehow and Ino got caught in the crossfire. Even stranger was that no one noticed the beasts malicious chakra or felt the chill that many had felt on the night of its attack.

The one thing that was certain was neither child was in any condition to report what had happened. His heart ached at the sight of both children but at the same time felt relieved that the incident was contained as it was with no witnesses.

This silver lining still did little to lift his spirit as the incident was still disastrous. Ino was in critical condition where death could be a serious outcome. Naruto on the other hand was too mentally distraught to be interrogated. His mental state right now was so fragile that it seemed like he would break if he even confronted something as harmless as a gentle breeze. Plus with the Kyuubi's involvement could mean serious trouble for the boy should information of it be leaked out.

The state Naruto was in reminded Hiruzen of that night just a few years ago where he was great with Naruto on the verge of death by his own wishes. Turning his head to the crystal orb lying just behind his desk he saw Naruto beginning to recover slowly next to Hinata. Smiling at the effect the girl was having on him Hiruzen decided to leave it to Naruto's friends to help him recover and braced himself to protect the boy from the politics that would attempt to assault him.

Still, turning his head back to the reports, Hiruzen wondered just how Ino was hurt. Was it possible the fox got loose or did the seal break down momentarily to release the potent chakra? Did Naruto loose control and hurt Ino himself? Knowing that the situation was critical and that the lack of information was problamatic, Hiruzen wondered if he made the right decision to keep the incident a secret.

As self-doubt loomed over his thoughts Hiruzen failed to notice Jiraiya slip into his office. Grunting to make his presence know Hiruzen looked up to spot Jiraiya with an equally sour expression.

After seven awkward moments passed Jiraiya spoke up first. "Well this was a big mess wasn't it." he stated trying to lighten the mood with a light hearted jab at humor. When Hiruzen didn't respond Jiraiya shifted his attention to the reports on the table.

"So~o... How bad was the village effect by this whole nightmare?"

Hiruzen looked up with a slight smile. "Better then the worse case scenario at least. Aside from the evidence implying that the Kyuubi chakra got out or took Naruto over and attack Ino, as well as an enemy shinobi breaking into the village unnoticed things are okay. None of the villagers felt the Kyuubi's presence and as far as we can tell aside from your summoning of Gamabunta no one knows that anything strange happened tonight. Even that thankfully can and is being chalked up to Mikon going on a rampage which sadly has become a common occurrence within the village." he explained with a sigh.

Jiraiya nodded thankful that everything that had happened hadn't upset the peacefulness of the village and could harmlessly be concealed by placing the explanations on Mikon.

"I'm sorry all of this happened," Jiraiya said causing Hiruzen to gaze at him. Jiraiya explained that a leak of information regarding Mikon caused the attack but he knew not why _they_ targeted her or if _they_ knew the secret of her power. Jiraiya thought back to what the boy named Toshiro said. He had said Iwa was involved and that left a bigger question, who exactly in Iwa was after Mikon and did they know her secret? If anyone knew of the girls unique chakra it should be someone from the Land of Water not someone from the Land of Earth see as Mikon first exposed her chakra's potential only during that time.

Somewhere along the line Lord Fukasaku had hopped in. Cutting in he explained the unique nature of the enemies abilities to Hiruzen. Everything for the Black Knights murderous aura to Zangai's invulnerable that seemed to defy reason.

After hearing everything Hiruzen went into deep thought. From what his student and the elder toad had told him both enemies where unique in regards to sage chakra and should be considered exceptions and not true Sages. The reason was one of them seemed to draw in an endless supply of natural energy while moving while the other seemed to radiate it out of his body as if the origin or natural energy.

Both cases had been an impossible occurrence till now and even then unexplainable. Between Jiraiya's broken limbs and the frozen wasteland just outside the village, it was clear that these opponents where no ordinary ninja. Not sure what to make of the impossibilities the enemy ninja proved to be possible the third turned to Jiraiya to ask the question the was on his minds.

"If the enemy was after Mikon, why did they go after Ino?" Hiruzen asked.

"That's the thing, they weren't after Ino. They attacked her assuming she was Mikon." Jiraiya corrected him. "The better question is why was the Land of Stone interested in her?"

Hiruzen nodded in agreement, it was unlike the old fence sitter of Iwa to allow a stunt like this. In the first place it wasn't like him to preemptively attack without knowing that it would succeed 100% let alone with mercenaries that had no backgrounds. Jiraiya catching his sensei's train of thought confirmed his own suspicions on the supposed culprits.

"I don't think Iwa was involved, after the last war they're still too beaten up to take action. Besides I can't see that old goat, the Tsuchikage launching a mission to kidnap someone from the leaf without knowing exactly what he was getting into." he explained as Jiraiya knew that while they had been around enough for people to spark some curiosity and look into her, he had kept her unique chakra secret and hidden well enough that people wouldn't be able to learn of its more dangerous properties. Forget sparking motive to kidnapper her to acquire her unique trait.

Hiruzen nodded in agreement. "In which case we must learn as much as we can. Jiraiya, I want you to find out as much information as you can on these ninja and who could have ordered them to kidnap Mikon." he said with all urgency. Hiruzen, although he didn't show it, was gravely concerned at the aspect of enemy ninja that could use sage jutsu without the negative side effects that supposedly came along with the skill.

Just as he acknowledged his orders, ignoring his own doubts on if they where actual ninja, Jiraiya stopped for a moment as a small frown graced his face. "About that..." he started to say. Pausing for a moment he seemed to struggle with his words. Collecting is resolve to break a promise he stared at this teacher before speaking calmly.

"I'm going to take Mikon with me as well"

Hiruzen stood up to argue against the idea, but one look told him Jiraiya wasn't going to change his mind. Watching his student leave Hiruzen wondered just what Jiraiya was planning by taking Mikon with him. After thinking about it for a while it suddenly dawned on him why.

Walking to the window Hiruzen gazed out and looked over the village. "A the very least Mikon will be under his protection... come back safely, both of you."

* * *

And the plot gets moving, that's right Mikon has her own troubles to deal with. Ino is on deaths door, Mikon leaves, and Naruto scared for life.

What happened to Naruto? Will Ino Survive? Why is Jiraiya taking Mikon with him? And what is her god damn secret that Hiuzen, the Toad Sages, and Jiraiya are keeping from her?

These questions and more shall be answered... not next time!

Next chapter, Chapter 6: Lies, Truth, Doubt, and Adversity coming out July 31st

The up coming chapters will go as such if everything works out right

Chapter 6-8 Prelude as a Genin

Chapter 9-(11 or 12) Iwa Border Arc

Chunin Exam Arc

Crush the Leaf Arc or Search for Tsunada Arc

Three Threat Arc

The sparks of War Arc (includes events revolving Snow country and Stone of Gelel)

Retrieve Sasuke Arc

That is at least what I have planned for those interested in trying to predict what may or may not happen.

This chapter feels slightly wrong to me for some reason and was a pain to edit, as such I plan to go over it again at a later date so Comment and Reply. I like them since I get to see what you guys think. Moreover I like hearing what you guys like in particular and what you guys are wondering. Thanks for continuing to read and as such support +best

Seriously comment, I do reply and stuff.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer :: I don't own Naruto... only six chapters in and this message is becoming redundant.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6 :: Root of Fears and Rivalry**

Naruto waited in the shadows for the ANBU to pass as he hid with the transparency escape jutsu. He was surprised at the ANBU's aggressive response to his most recent prank. Especially since the last few times they had only saw fit to sent one person to find him. Today they had sent out a whole squad after him.

Naruto continued laughing under his breath at the sight of his most recent prank as three of them whooshed by him. He wondered if he went a tad too far this time. While the idea was pretty funny, using a strong resin to glitter every ANBU mask in the village he might have prodded their pride a bit too hard. Still the prank was priceless as it was for all intentions, harmless, hilarious, and even better yet never been done before.

The worse case scenario he could think of would have been that the enemy would be left wondering if the ANBU were more eccentric then the rumors about them stated. If nothing else their reputation would be shot a bit if their faces where seen. Making his way to his run down apartment Naruto figured he might as well call it a day since he had nothing better to do and laying low was starting to seem like a good idea. As he made his way to his apartment he failed to notice the Chunin standing behind him.

"NARUTO!" Iruka shouted causing Naruto to jump out of his skin.

"Grwaaaaa! What are you doing all of a sudden, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto ask after practically jumping out of his skin. How was it he could sneak past the most elite ninja of the village yet Iruka could always sneak up on him. If it wasn't for the fact he had yet to be caught in the act of pranking, Naruto would have believed Iruka possessed a means to always know where he was. In reality Naruto knew it was that he was just comfortable around Iruka and so was never weary of him.

"What are _you_ doing during class?"Iruka askedlooking down on Naruto. Naruto looked away as he answered, "Heading home after practice." He didn't like Iruka angry and he honestly really liked Iruka. He was one of the only people who would acknowledge him and looked directly at him.

"Oh no you don't you're going to class and learn along with everyone else." Iruka said as he brought out a bundle of rope. The looming threat clicked in his brain as Naruto realized just how much of a pickle he was in.

"Oh hell no Iruka-sensei I'm not going to waste my time in the academy!" Naruto retorted as he made for a quick getaway.

Once again, shortly there after, Naruto found himself hogtied over Iruka's shoulder. Naruto sighed mentally as he knew subconsciously that he couldn't escape Iruka when he was serious. Despite that fact Naruto had to wonder how was it he could escape from squads of ANBU but Iruka could catch him like it was child's play. Considering he was only twelve Naruto had to admit that it kinda was child's play, since he wasn't a ninja... yet.

Setting him down in the middle of class Iruka looked at Naruto with a stern gaze. Naruto normally would just ignore him and shout in protest but the sorrow and worry behind Iruka's eyes stopped Naruto from ranting or shouting. Instead he took the lecture without a word. He didn't like the academy but he didn't want to cause Iruka anymore trouble.

"Listen Naruto. You failed the last final exam and the exam before that. You shouldn't be fooling around like this." Iruka said staring down at him.

Naruto held back a laugh. Little did Iruka know he had just gotten through sneaking in and pranking the ANBU. Who else in the academy could sneak in and glitter all their makes and get away with it. Sure they knew it was him since no one else dared to try it but that didn't mean he had ever been caught. That was the nice thing about pranking them, the ANBU never publicized his pranks. Sure he wasn't getting the attention he wanted but it still proved that he was strong and worth while. The fact that they sent a squad to find him this time proved he was being treated as a nuisance, not exactly a good thing.

Another thing Iruka didn't know was that he could have passed the last two exams. If his first prank against the Anbu was anything to go by he would have passed the exam with flying colors since the exam focused on the transformation jutsu, clone jutsu, and an obstacle course.

Ignoring Iruka Naruto recalled how the prank required sneaking in and using about fifty clones to transform into several ANBU's uniforms. Each one dispelling exactly at high noon. Naruto snickered as the prank had left several very embarrassed ANBU in less then modest apparel.

Naruto cringed as he recalled that not everything went perfect that day. Naruto had learned to fear one particular ANBU who on that day didn't have anything on to cover the great reveal. Yugao Uzuki being one for seven unfortunate ANBU that day who didn't wear any extra pants that day.

Naruto shivered at the memory as the resulting fallout had him cowering in the woods from Yugao's rage and blade which sought payment in blood. Thankfully the Hokage called off the women feeling he had been traumatized enough and had learned his lesson. In truth he did learn a lesson, just not the one they wanted. Always plan ahead and avoid Yugao.

As Iruka continued to lecture him, Naruto turned his head and saw an annoyed looking Ino glaring away from him. Yeah, he learned another lesson alright a few years earlier. Right after he hurt Ino he learned his lesson all too well. For the last few years he had the same nightmare over an over again. Reliving the attack where he lost control and the demon from his nightmares took over. The same attack that took away the feeling of belonging he once felt while beside her.

It was a nightmare to be sure. Recalling how the ninja had appeared out of nowhere and attempted to kidnap Ino, Naruto felt his emotions start to shudder.

Even though so much time had passed Naruto could remember every horrifying detail. Fighting as best as he could Naruto found himself to be no match for this enemy who practically took no damage from any of his attacks. Beaten and broken and at the peak of despair, in a rage he blacked out and found himself facing the cage that held the demon from his dreams... completely empty. Wondering why he was there and where the demon was he eventually woke up to find Ino bleeding out and the Ninja dead, with the blood of both on his hands, pooling around him.

Naruto blamed himself for the condition Ino had slowly recovered from. That night and the scar he made on her back was forever a mark of guilt and betrayal. He wasn't sure what caused it or what it was be somehow he knew he had hurt her. When he was called in for questioning Naruto told the Hokage everything he could remember and noticed that everyone present reacted strangely. After sending him off Naruto swore he heard Jiraiya say "the seal is intact and perfectly fine."

He wondered what Jiraiya meant exactly by "the seal is intact". Regardless of what it meant it did confirm one of Naruto's suspicions. It confirmed that the demon in his dreams was real and whatever the "seal" was it was what kept it inside him. Naruto while still a novice in true fūinjutsu was still knowledgeable enough to know what a seal was used for. Figuring it was the demon inside him that caused him to hurt Ino, Naruto distanced himself from her out of fear of hurting her again.

Since that night Naruto found himself always afraid of the demon, wondering when it would take him over again. He wasn't sure why he was so afraid of it or how it could take him over, but his doubt in himself grew as he became more unsure as to what was really going on inside of him. Sure he trusted Jiraiya-ojisan and the Hokage-Jisan with the fact that if he was dangerous to everyone they would do something about it.

However even so, Naruto kept his distance from everyone. That night when he surface from his grief he made a vow... never again. He wasn't sure if what happened then could happen again or not but decided he would practice to make himself strong both as a ninja and as a host. Ever since he trained alone and only around those who could act and where strong enough to stop him should he loose control. Although the ANBU were less then thrilled to be his unknowing training partners they filled the undesired roll perfectly.

The worse part about that whole night though had to be the fact that Mikon and Jiraiya had left the village in order to prevent another attack on the village. While the two did visit occasionally, Naruto missed having Mikon around since she made him feel calm and knew she was strong enough to be safe near him. After all Naruto had seen her summoning jutsu and her talent with it countless of times. And Jiraiya although perverted to no end was always there for him. He was just like what he imagined a dad to be like, loud kind and funny, but when things where serious could handle anything that came his way.

Drawing his attention away from the sad farwell they shared and the loneliness that filled the void it left Naruto focusing back on Iruka who seemed to have noticed Naruto wasn't paying attention and was in the midst of declare a review test for the transformation jutsu. With a resounded and annoyed "What!?" from the class everyone lined up to be evaluated. Being freed from his bindings and getting the stink eye from the class Naruto joined them.

Much to Naruto's mild annoyance he was placed between Shikamaru and Ino. Naruto ignored Shikamaru's complaints as he watched Sakura preform the transformation jutsu. Figuring since he was here anyway he could have some fun Naruto decided to make a joke out of the review before leaving.

After Sasuke's transformation Naruto walked up and channeled his chakra for his own attempt.

" **Henge!** "

In a burst of smoke a female Naruto who looked like an 18 year old Mikon with whiskers appeared with a sultry gaze appeared before the class. The smoke lingered over 'him' censoring the naughty bits while her ponytail flowed around behind her almost tauntingly.

At the sight of his sexy jutsu the entire room went silent and a stupefied Iruka turned into a bloody nose rocket flying straight into the chalkboard.

"Haha, how was _that_? I call it the Oiroke no Jutsu." Naruto said clutching his gut in laughter.

J/N: Sexy Jutsu

A less then pleased Iruka recovered and was now screaming at the top of his lungs, reprimanded Naruto as he used what Naruto dubbed the Bighead no Jutsu.

"You idiot! Don't invent such a dumb technique!" Iruka shouted with his head nearly three times bigger then usual. Most of the class watched in annoyance as Iruka yelled at Naruto. If they weren't forced to do a review for the test they would have laughed it off like normal. The only two present who acted like normal were Hinata who was blushing heavily from the sight of a feminine Naruto and Sakura who was readying her fist behind Naruto. Swinging it down she also shouted at him.

"Stupid Naruto, Stop fooling around and causing us trouble!" she shouted as she brought her fist onto his head causing Naruto to disappear into a puff of smoke. "What the hell. Damn it Naruto where did you go!" Sakura shouted in surprise.

Iruka looked at the spot Naruto once stood and felt a smirk threaten to appear. When did he replace himself with a clone. He knew that aside from himself and the Hokage and a few Jounin no one else knew Naruto could use the shadow clone jutsu. Deciding to give up and focus on the rest of his students Iruka chose to give Naruto some space today while conjuring thoughts of how he would punish him for skipping tomorrow. Although he was firm with Naruto he could tell something was bugging him more then usual.

 **-Hokage Office-**

Watching through his Crystal ball Hiruzen was looking at a dumbfounded Kurenai Yuhi. The two present had watched the entire interaction and Hiruzen wondered which surprised his Joinin more, Naruto's Shadow Clone Jutsu or his Sexy Jutsu. His answer came in a fare more blatant manner then he expected.

"Naruto is able to use Shadow Clones? From what I've heard he can't even perform a basic clone." Kurenai stated in shock.

Nodding Hiruzen added with a chuckle, "If you find that surprising you''d be more shocked as to when he learned it." With a grin he he handed her a folder. "Inside is a private list of all of Naruto's achievements that I've collected over the last few years."

Kurenai took the folder and looked it through. Much to his reputation the notorious prankster had quite the résumé.

"Swapping out all salt with sugar in the major restaurant district, snatching and replacing the Hokage's hate with one made of paper mache? Locking the ANBU out of the ANBU headquarters." Looking up in shoke she asked nearly speechlessly, "He snuck into the ANBU headquarters?"

Looking back at the paper she continued reading off the list of actions the young boy had achieved. "Replacing all facial products with paint, note: non-toxic paint, replaced all food stock in ANBU headquarters with homemade ice-cream, infiltrated ANBU headquarters on the side to paint "I was here" 37 times? Played tic-tack-toe on Ibiki's head over the course of eight nights while he slept!? Replaced Kakashi's orange books with blank pages (location of original books still missing), snuck into the **women's bath and escaped unnoticed!?"** Kurenai finished reading the list only to shout at the news the young boy had infiltrated the women's baths with a nearly flaming tongue.

Trying to douse the fire the news sparked within Kurenai, Hiruzen replied, "To be fair he only snuck in to run Jiraiya out."

Not believing it was an excuse for such perverted acts to be allowed Kurenai nonetheless continued reading. As she did she noticed that with the exception of several of his pranks, most of Naruto's if not almost all the ones within the last four years, involved the ANBU.

"I'm sorry lord Hokage, but forgive me if some of this seems... well some of these acts... I find them hard to believe. He's only a 12 year old kid. Hell I've seen the records at the Academy. His grades and test result don't even meet the basic requirements to graduate and his practical scores just barely make the cut." Kurenai commented drawing the the public knowledge she knew of Naruto.

Hiruzen nodded in agreement. Based only on the Academy records Naruto was clearly the dead last of his generation, if not the last three. However thanks to Jiraiya's updates on the boy's progress before he left, Hiruzen had always been keeping a close eye on the boy and knew that wasn't entirely the case.

Seeing her words have little influence on his decision Kurenai sighed. "I'll become his... their sensei, but only if they pass the test." she said pausing to look at his picture before continuing. "However based on his record I don't think he'll pass."

Hiruzen smiled as he looked at Kurenai knowingly, "You're absolutely right, he won't pass." he said. Kurenai was shocked by this statement sputtering, "But I thought you..." was all she could say before the Hokage raised his hand to show her the rest of the file on Naruto.

As she read Naruto's abilities and known jutsu Hiruzen continued, "The problem is that right now Naruto doesn't want to pass." Kurenai looked up wondering why he would believe the boy who was constantly shouting "I'm gonna be Hokage" would willingly fail to become a ninja. Seeing Kurenai's confusion he continued speaking.

"The reason lies in the two lines of thought inside him. The first is his own internal fear that he is currently struggling with. While I don't have proof, I'm under the belief that he knows that he is the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, yet I haven't confirmed it lest I unintentionally confirm his doubts. After the incident involving Ino, Naruto seems to have acquired a fear of the power inside him or at the very least believes it will hurt his friends and/or teammates should he become stronger. Naruto while boisterous is surprisingly quiet regarding his own thoughts and feelings especially in regards to his feelings of companionship and camaraderie. However Naruto is a strong willed and kind boy who has been forced to live by carrying his own burdens alone less they hurt those around him. Thus subconsciously he doesn't want to become stronger and hurt his friends."

Taking a breath from his pipe Hiruzen continued explaining, "The second reason is his only other friend besides Ino who he distanced himself from, Mikon Umegaki. Naruto has commented on how he feels that his actions that night caused Mikon to be forced to leave and thus doesn't wish to graduate without her. As I said he is strong willed which is a nice way to say he's very loyal to any ideas that take root inside his head. Thankfully regardless of his desires I plan on having Uzumaki Naruto graduate regardless." Hiruzen explained ignoring the look of shock on Kurenai's face at the blatant explanation that Hiruzen had basically decided to pass a student regardless of if he passes or fails the test.

"As you can see by the reports, Uzumaki Naruto is clearly already of genin quality. True his intelligence and knowledge have much to be desired but by no means is he a complete idiot. If nothing else he has more experience in infiltration and stealth then most of his classmates thanks to his pranks which show a very intelligent man who's capable of planning and spontaneous decision making under pressure-" Taking another breath he looked at Kurenai above the bridge of his nose with a knowing stare, " Just the kind of genin you're looking for on your team."

Kurenai nodded in agreement. If these records where true, Naruto had successfully escaped from the ANBU a total of exactly fifty-eight times. As she read she also found that some of the strange occurrences in the village over the last four years could be traced back to the boy. The most notorious being the Orange Nobles Incident as it was called one year ago. Naruto in a single night successfully painted every one of the three noble households home's without getting caught. There where even Nobles that where still upset that the culprit was still not found. Kurenai was even surprised by the perpetrator since they even got the Hyuuga's Manor much to her internal delight. Never would she have imagined that Naruto was the culprit.

"Very well. But will he be a good match with the rest of the team?" Kurenai asked to which Hiruzen nodded.

"Naruto will be. Hinata Hyuuga seems gain confidence from the boy and I'm positive Naruto will come to have an understanding with Shino Aburame seeing as both hold similar existences as hosts. Both will also help Naruto with his current... problems." Hiruzen concluded with a slight pause.

"Problems?" Kurenai asked.

With a small frown Hiruzen said, "Naruto will be a challenge to teach. If you are able to gain his trust then maybe he will speak with you about them. They unfortunately aren't problems I may speak of without breaking the boy's last bonds of trust... or breaking the only path to build trust with him."

Kurenai frowned at this but understood the Hokage wouldn't speak of anything more regarding the issue. As she looked at the aging man she was reminded of just how old the Hokage was. Whatever unique relationship he had between himself and the boy clearly weighted on him deeply. Normally it would be seen as unprofessional but she too was also guilty of similar favoritism in regards to the young Hyuuga, Hinata.

"Lord Hokage, if it is alright I would like to observe Uzumaki Naruto until the the selections are made."

Hiruzen understanding her request nodded with a pleased look. The best way to understand Naruto was to interact with him but observing him now might help provide her with a deeper understanding of the boy's difficulties.

Making her way out of the office unaware of Hiuzens final thoughts on her request Kurenai made her way out to find the boy in question. To her slight inconvenience she found him sitting at Ichiraku Ramen eating with his sensei, Iruka. It had taken her almost all day to track the boy down only to stumble upon him at his usual eating place. Hearing the two conversing as they ate Kurenai paused to listen in on them.

"Why do you always fool around Naruto? You might not be the smartest in your class but skill wise you shouldn't have any problems graduating." Iruka asked. Kurenai could hear the concern he had for Naruto. It reminded her of the same concern and compassion she felt for Hinata's situation.

"I don't mean to cause you trouble but I just don't want to hurt... um... cause trouble for anyone else..." Naruto said drift off slightly as he starting thinking his words instead of speaking them.

Taking a breath he looked at Iruka with his usual smile. "Besides even if I did pass, It wouldn't be fair to Mikon who's even stronger then I am." he said before slurping the contents of his bowl. Placing the bowl down he muttered something that not even Iruka heard but Kurenai could by reading his lips.

"That and the fact I'm not even sure if I'm human."

Kurenai was shocked to say the least. It seemed the Hokage was correct, Naruto did have some inkling as to what he held inside him. Though it didn't confirm if he knew of the Kyuubi, it did confirm that he knew something about him was different though thinking himself as not human wasn't a good sign.

She watched as Naruto finished his ramen and quickly ran off. She wasn't expecting Iruka shouting at him loudly as he laughed wondering what had just happened while she was questioning his mental state. Turning around she saw just what had set off Iruka. Holding in a muffled laugh she couldn't believe her eyes.

"Naruto Uzumaki, huh. Well if he was able to break into the ANBU headquarters I can see him sneaking up there and painting on it without anyone seeing it." Kurenai said gazing at the defaced faces of the former Hokage.

Making her way to follow the boy she wondered when he had the chance to apply glow in the dark paint onto the Hokage Monument.

Following after Naruto Kurenai began to feel depressed at the aspect of how poorly the Academy rated Naruto's skills. Unlike the written records Naruto's athletic skills was by no means as low as the Academy had claimed. Making his way to an abandoned warehouse the boy practically danced through the crowds and practically defied gravity as he swung, bounced, and slid his way through ever obstacle the streets of Konoha had to offer.

Not wanting to be spotted by the boy Kurenai sat outside waiting for him to leave. She thought about sneaking in under a genjutsu but considered how inaccurate the reports on the boy where, decided against risking his being spotted. After an hour had passed she saw Naruto leave the warehouse attempting to leave unnoticed. Taking noting that the general direction he was rushing of into was the same location his apartment was, Kurenai figured she could continue her observations of him tomorrow so didn't follow him.

Before heading out however her curiosity needed to be sated as she wondered what he was doing in an abandoned warehouse for a good hour in the middle of the night. Sneaking in Kurenai saw a normal wood and lumber storehouse that had once been used during the reconstruction after the Kyuubi attack. All the excess lumber from that time was left in storehouses like this one. Moving through the maze like piles she noticed in a hidden area under some old timber in the corner of the building a small makeshift workshop had been established. It was clearly made and was filled with numerous boxes and scrolls and even had what looked like a makeshift table crafted from piles of lumber. Opening one of the scrolls to read it she was surprised to see they where Fuinjutsu scrolls. Opening several more she was surprised to see most of them depicted practice exercises. In the boxes Kurenai found a large number of Paper-bombs and all of which where perfectly made and handcrafted.

Kurenai recalled how the report stated that Naruto had some skill in Fuinjutsu. At the time she wondered just how much skill he had in the art. If he was making these paper-bombs then his talent must have been incredible since most Jōnin couldn't even make such things.

Kurenai chuckled to herself as she thought aloud, "Uzumaki Naruto. Maybe there's more to you then I first believed."

 **-Next Day-**

Much like the Hokage predicted, Naruto failed his test intentionally. Having gotten up earlier then she would have normally liked in order to observe Naruto, Kurenai was glad she did since she got to witness the boy's private practice session.

To her surprise the boy had an incredible amount of stamina if his taijutsu practice was anything to go by. At first she wasn't shocked to see Naruto perform improper and faulty taijutsu stances. However shortly afterwards she realized that Naruto's poor stances and skill in taijutsu might not be a result of his own doing. As far as she could tell Naruto was doing everything in perfect repetition. Either Naruto messed up during practice resulting in him acquired the wrong forms and forming... a lot of bad habits or he was taught incorrectly and had been practicing the incorrect forms religiously.

Judging from his diligence and the fluency Kurenai figured it was the later.

Heading home to fill out the required paper-work that being a Jōnin entitled her to do she found her thoughts continued to wonder while she performed her work as dutifully as possible.

Each time she cleared her mind she found her thoughts falling back to the blond that she would be taking charge of. Kurenai herself was shocked since this hadn't happened since her talk with Hinata's clan where they unceremoniously dropped Hinata into her care.

At the time while she was new to being a Jōnin it didn't stop her from acting on her feelings for the rejected girl. Unlike Kakashi, Kurenai went out of her way to ask the Hokage permission to train a group who would specialize in information gathering and reconnaissance with Hinata under her tutelage.

While taking the position was privately a desire to help Hinata she also did want to produce a team specialized in information gathering and reconnaissance.

Since most of the village specialized in active engagements against enemy ninja the hidden leaf was a bit lacking in the infiltration aspect of being a ninja. Thanks to the Sannin Jiraiya the village had one of the most powerful information gathering networks in the world. Kurenai however was not confident in leaving one man to perform a job that every ninja should be skilled in. If the village spent more time gathering intel then perhaps they would have seen some sign of the Kyuubi's attack before it appeared in the village.

Pausing for a moment at her thoughts she recalled a question that had bothered her for years, "Why did the Kyuubi suddenly appear from out of nowhere and attack the village?" she spoke aloud.

She always thought that its sudden appearance with no warning didn't make any sense. Surely the village would have spotted a ten story tall giant orange furred monster long before it reached the village. Yet that night it appeared out of nowhere.

Her train of thought broke when a sudden and urgent knock came from her door. Without even waiting for her to respond to their unwanted presence, the ANBU at her door spoke.

"These are orders to all active shinobi, Kurenai Yuki, you are to find and capture Uzumaki Naruto and recover the Scroll of Sealing in his possession."

Disappearing without waiting for a response, the ANBU left a baffled Kurenai standing in her apartment. Quickly acting on the orders given to her she found herself flying through the village trying the piece together the orders she was just given.

"Recover the Scroll of Sealing? Did Naruto steal the scroll? No... Naruto would have no reason to do so. Did he take it as a prank?" she asked herself making her way to the warehouse she had seen him enter before.

She stopped running when it occurred to her that this wasn't a very Naruto like action from the boy. From the files the Hokage had given her, while he may be a pranking little monster, not one of his pranks ever brought harm to anyone. In fact each prank seemed painstakingly designed so as to make sure no body got hurt, especially after the supposedly first prank he played on the ANBU.

"Somethings fishy about this... why would Naruto take the scroll of sealing?"

Kurenai's question sparked a series of events to occur. The first was the spark of doubt that Naruto really stole the scroll. The second was that moment of doubt caused her to stop atop a utility pole which allowed her to see Mizuki rushing off like an arrow for the forest. This in turn caused her to wonder where Mizuki was going in such a hurry. If the orders to retrieve Naruto where for all shinobi present then why was he heading for the forest while everyone else searched.

Knowing something was up she fallowed after Mizuki in hopes of finding some answers to her questions as well as Naruto.

While she was a jounin, Kurenai was not the most athletic of the ranked group. By the time she made it into the forest her doubts finally gained evidence although she was clearly late to whatever bloody party happened there. In a small clearing Kurenai found signs of conflict. A large blood stain marked the ground and numerous kunai where in-bedded into a small shack that was present.

"What in the world is going on here?" Kurenai whispered as she looked around for clues as to what happened. Taking everything in she charged off in the direction that the footprints depicted. Fear and concern driving her feet forward she soon caught up with the ones who created the footprints.

Rushing through the forest she heard the voice of Iruka shouting through the trees.

"Naruto! What Mizuki said back there was a lie! Hand over the scroll to me! Mizuki is after it!

Pushing herself forward Kurenai caught sight of Iruka and Naruto just in time to see Naruto body slam Iruka in the gut and into the ground. This was by far the last think Kurenai expected having seen and heard of the strong teacher-student relationship they had. Hiding behind some trees she stopped to observe the situation not sure exactly what was going on. After all there where only the two here while at the clearing with blood the tracks of three people where present.

Observing the situation carefully Kurenai became more confused when the Iruka spontaneously transformed back into Mizuki while Naruto transformed back into Iruka. "What the hell is going on?" Kurenai thought as her eyes quickly spotted Iruka bleeding wound. Was the blood in the clearing his? Moving in closer to hear their conversation she creeped just close enough to hear them talk.

"You're the idiot. Naruto is the same as me." Mizuki stated as he stared down at Iruka.

"Same as you?" Iruka asked,

Kurenai watched as Mizuki's smug smile grew even larger."Anything is possible with that scroll. There's no way that Naruto, the monster fox, won't use its powers." he said as Kurenai struggled to acquire some form of understanding. Just what the hell was going on, did Mizuki betray the village and more importantly why are they talking about the Kyuubi inside Naruto?

"Yeah, you're right." Iruka stated to Kurenai's shock. Everything she knew about him and Naruto nearly crumbled under the cruelty of his words.

" _If_ he was a monster." Iruka stated with a mocking smile at Mizuki. "But Naruto is different. He's... He's an excellent student that I recognize. He's hardworking, earnest, clumsy, loyal, and no one recognizes him for who he is. He knows the pain of others. He's not the Kyuubi. He's Konoha's one and only Uzumaki Naruto." Iruka continued with pride in each syllable.

Kurenai nodded in agreement, it might have been recently but there was clearly more to Naruto then him simply being a host for the Kyuubi. Her smile grew slightly at the stupefied look that graced Mizuki's face. Reaching for his arm sized shuriken he spoke out with a tone of annoyance.

"What an idiot. Iruka, I said I would kill you later, but I take that back."

Kurenai started forming hand signs she now had little doubt Mizuki was no longer an ally to the leaf. While she didn't have evidence of his treachery attacking an ally ninja as wounded as Iruka was more then enough to justify capturing him.

"Die now!" Mizuki shouted as Kurenai finished her hands signs just in time to prevent Iruka from being harmed. A sudden blur of orange however flew into the clearing, kneed Mizuki in the the chest with a body slam sending him flying backwards. His shuriken went flying right past Kurenai who had to duck to avoid the now rogue airborne shuriken.

Focusing her gaze on the orange jumpsuit she was stunned to see Naruto standing there with the Scroll of Sealing under his hands. A cold gaze burning holes directly at Mizuki. Turning to see Iruka she noticed he was just as stunned.

"If you lay a finger on Iruka-senesi. _I'll kill you_." Naruto growled out as he readied his jutsu.

Mizuki scoffed at his warnings as he shouted out, "Talk while you can. I'll finish a kid like you in a flash."

With a gaze of determination Naruto stared focused on his target, the man who threatened the first person to truly accept him as a person. "Try it you Bastard!" Naruto shouted, "Anything you dish out I'll through back a thousand fold! **Kage Bunshin no Justu!** "

In that instant the entire clearing was filled with Naruto's. Kurenai was struck speechless. Looking up she noticed they where even some standing in the trees as well. Exactly how many clones did he make? There had to be a hundred at minimum. How much chakra did the boy have to be able to create that many clones?

As Kurenai was left as speechless as Iruka, a less then thrilled Mizuki found himself in the middle of what could only be called an orange-ninja-army-beat-down nightmare as every Naruto present attacked without remorse. In mere moments Naruto had defeated a chunin level ninja. Mizuki was left beaten and bloodied on the ground at Naruto's feet as he laughed like it was just another day in Konoha.

With a foxy grin Naruto smiled sheepishly at Iruka as he rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe I dished out a little too much." Naruto said as he picked up the Scroll of Sealing.

"Iruka-sensei , are you alright?" Naruto asked redirecting his concern towards his injured sensei.

"Y-yeah..." Iruka grunted out as he trailed off in thought. The grin on his face made Kurenai believe it was the same thoughts that she was currently having. Perhaps Naruto's boasts of being the greatest Hokage might not be as full of hot air as everyone first believed.

As she watched the interaction between the two Kurenai made the decision that her presence was not needed in the end. Kurenai walked away believing there wasn't any need to take Naruto into custody and that leaving him to Iruka was more then enough enough seeing as there was more to the case then Naruto stealing an important scroll. Leaving the scroll and Naruto to Iruka, Kurenai made her way back to the village to speak with the Hokage to reassure him that the situation was taken care of and more complex then she believed.

Any doubts on the boys character and talent where long gone from her mind and she wished to ensure that the Hokage knew of these fact as soon as possible less she lose such a promising talent. While she understood that training Naruto would be hard she had little doubt his presence would be anything but a boon to her experimental team.

To her great pleasure the Hokage was more then pleased with her report. Having been spying on the situation regarding Naruto and Mizuki, Hiruzen simply listened to her report on her opinion of having Naruto on her team. Judging from the weight that was relieved from his shoulders it seemed to her that her own hesitancy to take on Naruto had him worried.

To add to her great pleasure right then and there Hiruzen made it finalized that Hinata Hyuuga, Shino Aburame, and Naruto Uzumake would make up Team 8.

Having observed Naruto's beatdown of Mizuki she decided she would spend the rest of the week until their graduation meeting to learn which classmates the three would be joining to observing Shino Aburame. Kurenai could find no fault in having them on a single team but the lack of personal information of the Aburame had her worried.

 **-Academy: Graduates Meeting Day -**

Naruto made his way down the hallway slightly uncertain of his being there. Nothing had gone right for him that week.

No surprise considering the week started with Mizuki attempting to trick him into stealing the Scroll of Sealing under the flimsy lie that he would make it so Mikon would graduate with him. At the time he wondered what made Mizuki think he past considering he had failed the test on purpose and was there when he failed. This was explained to Naruto's great annoyance during his meeting with Hiruzen. After Mizuki's arrest Hiruzen personally informed him that he had already planned to pass Naruto regardless of the test results since he knew full well he could pass if he wanted to. Since his skills where already known to the old man and he knew Naruto would fail on purpose the Hokage made him a genin anyway much to Naruto's annoyance.

The worst part about the whole incident was being told the truth about why he was hated. Thanks to Mizuki, Naruto now had a name for the demon inside of him, the Kyuubi. While he already had a few ideas as to what was inside him, the Kyuubi being one of them, Naruto still wished he had learned the truth from someone besides the bastard ex-chunin.

The growing frequency of his Nightmares also spiked after that night. Naruto guessed it was due to his new confirmation of his guest inside him and the fact he was struggling with the idea of being teammates with two others. As a result the entire week Naruto had trouble sleeping and expected to have trouble sleeping that night as well.

The only saving grace was that in the back of his mind he already knew it was the Kyuubi. For years he had suspected that the demon's identity was such but always denied that possibility fearing what it meant. The fear that he really was a demon and the fact his role model had failed to protect the village. Now that Mizuki had successfully preyed on that fear, Naruto wasn't sure exactly what to make of himself. He was confident that he was Human but lingering doubts rarely made logical sense to anyone.

To make his identity crisis even worse the Hokage fearing that another secret would be laid on him in a similar manner and so right then and there unveiled an even more earth shattering truth, his heritage.

Naruto Namikaze Uzumaki. Naruto never would have imagined that his father was the most praised and loved Hokage of the hidden leaf and his role model that he wished to surpass, Minato Namikaze. Naruto listened to Hiruzen as he explained the events that let to his birth. It warmed his heart that his parents didn't abandon him but sacrificed themselves so he could live. However in the back of his mind two questions lingered, "Why seal the Kyuubi inside me and why me?"

He couldn't understand all the stuff such as the political issues should his heritage become public knowledge but Naruto did understood a few things. One such thing he understood was that he couldn't go around shouting, "Hey, I'm Naruto Namikaze Uzumaki. Fear me!" less he wanted all of Iwa to seek his death.

Naruto being a lot smarter then people gave him credit for understood that there was a lot going on behind the scenes which made his parentage such a big deal. Agreeing to keep it a secret Naruto didn't feel all that forced to break the secret anyway. He always believed himself to be Naruto Uzumaki and having to worry about both his father's name and the Kyuubi was too much. So for the time being he ignored the less important fact of his father and focused on what was currently issue haunting him the most, the Kyuubi.

As Naruto arrived at the door to the classroom he put his recollection on the back burner of his mind and readied himself for his first official day as a genin. If there was one bright side to this whole week it was that he was now officially a genin with Mikon and Ino.

His concerns that Mikon wouldn't be a genin were dashed as Hiruzen informed him that she was already being considered a genin with special privileges. Showing some of his letters reporting Mikon's progress Hiruzen explained that she had been considered a genin as of a month prior to the events involving Mizuki. On top of that she was officially the apprentice of Jiraiya and would be assisting an learning from him while traveling outside of the village. This little fact made him jealous of Mikon but on the plus side was glad she was also a genin with him and Ino.

With the worries of leaving a friend behind gone Naruto accepted the new rank with a smile as he read the reports Hiruzen gave him. Glad to hear Mikon was doing well any desire to not be a genin had evaporated from his thoughts.

His joyful thoughts of Mikon didn't keep his spirits raised for long however. On top of missing Mikon, the fear of teaming up with Ino loomed over Naruto like a bad hangover. Ever since the incident where he had put her in the hospital Naruto had gone out of his way to avoid her, resulting in a rift between them that was created by her anger at him distancing himself from her and his fears of himself hurting her again. And now that they where both Genin there was a chance of being teamed up with her thus putting her at risk. While he didn't want to hurt anyone he teamed up with Naruto absolutely didn't want to hurt Ino again even more so.

Then again now that he knew what exactly was happening with him internally he wasn't sure what to do to fix the divide he had created should he ever solve the Kyuubi problem. For those years he spent hiding from her, Naruto had struggled with the fear that he might really be a demon and that the next time might actually kill her. Now that he knew he could learn to control the Fox and prevent it from taking over Naruto was struggling to figure how how to fix their friendship should he succeed in learning how to keep control.

While he did hope they would be together on the same team, he knew he wanted her safe more then anything. Together they pulled off some amazing pranks an he enjoyed the time he spent with her and Mikon. But now a mix of fear and regret stopped him from taking the first step and while being her teammate would help bridge the divide, he didn't want to risk the alternative happening with her nearby.

Opening the door to the classroom he looked for a spot to sit. The knot in the pit of his stomach unraveled as he noted that Ino wasn't in yet. Spotting Sasuke brooding in his usual corner Naruto figured he'd sit next to him.

Naruto always felt a certain kinship with Sasuke. Both had no family and lost their parents. The two where alone and misunderstood and even though he wasn't emo Naruto didn't talk much about what he was feeling just like Sasuke. If there was anyone Naruto could think of that he'd call a brother it was Sasuke... even if he was a prick. Naruto giggled as he imagined it... Sasuke Uzumaki the gloomy and brooding older brother and rival to Naruto Uzumaki.

"Knowing the jerk Sasuke will just sit still and not even give me another thought." Naruto thought to himself as he sat down next to the Uchiha who like he suspected didn't speak a word and continued to brood. As Naruto sat down and basked in the silence, more people came in and unsurprisingly none of them even gave a care to notice him. Naruto couldn't help but not be surprised at this fact since most of the time they never gave him the time of day anyway. Why would they think about the looser who failed sitting in on the class meeting he shouldn't be present for, Naruto thought sarcastically. Remembering Iruka's words from before his Mizuki beatdown caused a smile to replace the frown he sported. "So what if I'm ignored, Iruka-sensei believes in me and acknowledges me."

Naruto was brought at of his thoughts as a lazy voice asked him,"Huh, Why are you here?"

Naruto looked up to see Shikamaru staring at him. "Today's explanatory meeting is only for those who graduated." Shikamaru continued.

Naruto found it funny the laziest guy in the class was the one to noticed the odd guy out just sitting in a class he shouldn't be present for.

"I got my own forehead protector?" Naruto said correcting Shikamaru as he stuck his thumb towards his headband. "Starting today, I'm also a genin." Naruto finished with his usual grin hoping a simple answer and evidence would ward away the unwanted attention. He didn't want to raise attention to how he passes or the fact he technically stole the Scroll of Sealing from the Hokage.

Just as Naruto had hoped his short answer worked. Shikamaru walked off following his usual lazy tendencies to avoid anything troublesome as he accepted Naruto's answer, although he wasn't sure how much Shikamaru was able to piece together from their short exchange. Shikamaru was smart and observant after all.

As Naruto watched Shikamaru walked off, Sakura and Ino slammed their way through the door to the classroom declaring themselves the winners along with making a complete racket in the process. Naruto didn't even need to look up to hear them arguing about who arrived first or the fact that they was a lot of pushing and shoving in said debate. All the same the curiosity encouraged Naruto to look up and see what was going on, but upon seeing Ino felt his stomach tighten up again.

"Do girls always have to make such a big scene when they do stuff?" Naruto muttered jokingly trying to get his mind off Ino. The few words under his breath earned a snicker from Sasuke telling Naruto his rival wasn't as distant as he looked.

"Pot calling the kettle black much." Sasuke said mockingly in a whisper. Naruto was a little shocked that Saskue was actually paying attention to what he said. Even if his attitude pissed him off Naruto was more surprised that Sasuke made the effort to mock him.

Naruto turned to retort just as a ear splitting shout cut straight into his eardrums. He didn't even need to turn around to know it was Sakura screaming.

"SASUKE-KUN!"

Turning his head to face the source of the noise, Naruto was greeted by Sakura's hand which unceremoniously grabbed his face and threw him out of her way. The surprise attack left Naruto falling to the floor with a loud thud while wondering when the pink haired girl had snuck up behind him.

"Get out of my way!" She growled before presenting herself to her desired love interest.

Naruto stared at the pink banshee as he got to his feet. Not wanting to deal with her Naruto gave up on his original seat and left to find another seat. Looking for another spot to sit he looked around for someone who wouldn't bother him or at the very least make fun of him. Spotting an open seat next to the second most quite person of his class, Naruto made his over to sit next to Hinata.

As he made his way up the stairs he noticed that Ino remain rooted where she stood. When their eyes met the young Yamanaka turned her head and walked to her original seat ignoring him. Naruto wondered thought, for the first few seconds where their eyes met Naruto was almost positive that up until they broke eye contact she had been staring at him and not Sasuke. Not only that he could have sworn her gaze was soft and pained, nothing like her usual confident and kind glare. Believing his hopes where getting the better of him Naruto ignored it and continued walking to the open seat near Hinata.

Hinata quickly started blushing at the sight of Naruto's approach. "Naruto-kun is coming this way. What should I do?" She wondered to herself as Naruto came up to her.

"Hey Hinata, mind if I sit here?" Naruto asked in a hushed whisper. The flood of happiness that Hinata felt rushed through her much in the same way the blood flow rushed to her face. Blushing like crazy and struggling not to faint from happiness all she could manage to do was nod slightly and move over to allow ample room for Naruto to sit down.

Siting down next to her Naruto didn't take notice of her bright red hue and simply placed his head down on the desk. While questions regarding the Kyuubi, the Fourth, and Ino clashed in his head, Hinata struggled with her own inner conflict revolving the blond sitting next to her. Fidgeting relentlessly Hinata struggled to try and strike up a conversation with Naruto. Thankfully for her this restlessness caused the relatively large ghostly white lavender jeweled pendent she wore to wiggle its way outside of her hooded jacket.

As the pearl like gem glowed lightly it caught Naruto's attention as he was drawn to the nostalgic chakra he felt from it. "Hey Hinata..." Naruto whispered earning a squeal of surprise from the already flustered Hyuuga.

"Y-yes N-naruto-kun?" she managed to stutter out glad that she managed to answer him. Why was Naruto suddenly talking with her? As she asked herself this he pointing at the gem and asked, "That's really pretty. Where did you get it from."

Looking down she she lifted the gem which hung from a small chain. "T-this? I got it from Miko-chan before she left." Hinata explained as she recalled how Mikon insisted that she keep it with her at all times.

She was surprised when Mikon had given it to her but was more surprised at how it changed over time as she wore it.

The pendant which took the form of an almost pure black gem held in place by a pair of crisscrossing rings which formed an X like pattern radiated chakra which disappeared the day after Mikon left.

Using her Byakugan to see the flow of chakra in the gem Hinata was shocked herself to see that it was radiating Mikon's own chakra. Adding to her surprise was the changes the gem slowly displayed as over time the gem turned from black to the now lavender ghostly white which now hung gently around her neck.

"D-does it look bad or..." Hinata asked worriedly that he didn't approve of her wearing the accessory.

Naruto's face change to one of understanding as he recognized the feeling the gem gave off as the same gentle yet brash feeling he got around Mikon. "No it actually looks good on you... Since when have you and Mikon been friends?" Naruto complimented but paused before asking Hinata her relationship with Mikon. He was surprised that Mikon befriended someone other then himself and Ino. Sure she was friendly but for the most part if she did make another friend it was unlike her to not tell him. Especially since in Naruto's opinion Hinata was the weirdest girl in the class.

"W-we've been friends for a while. We bumped into each other when you where in the hospital. W-we became friends and she practiced w-with me on occasion." Hinata explained struggling to not pass out from the complement he had just given her. "I can die happy right now mom, Naruto-kun is sitting and talking next to me." she thought to herself.

In her small fit of joy she noticing the distinct smell of ramen that Naruto usually wore was gone. Hinata wondered if something was troubling him or if he just missed breakfast before she hid her face at the realization she just smelled Naruto.

"So that's why..." Naruto muttered. He never would have guessed that Mikon and Hinata were friends. "I wonder why Mikon never talked about it." Naruto thought aloud placing his chin back down on his arms. It was unusual for Mikon to keep secrets from him or at the very least not mention that she made a new friend aside from him. It was unusual. Normal she would have crashed into him and told him every detail regardless of if he wanted to know it or not.

"I don't know why Mikon never said anything b-but, I'm sure she just never got around to mentioning it or didn't think it was all that important." Hinata stated fearing that Naruto might have been upset by her unintentional admitted that Mikon didn't tell him everything about herself.

Noticing Iruka walk in and call for order within the classroom Naruto quelled her doubts when he whispered, "I already kinda figure that. Plus you're not the type to lie, right." He might not have known Hinata personally but he trusted his gut that she wasn't lying and considering what he knew about her figured she wouldn't start lying right then and there. In truth she didn't seem like the type to lie and he respected that.

Hinata blushed and shrinked into her jacket to hide her embarrassment. Naruto actually complemented her and said he trusted her. More over she actual had a conversation with Naruto.

Feeling like she could die happy again for a second time she failed to listen to what Iruka was saying as the instructor began the meeting class. Feeling the weight of the pendant on her neck Hinata adjusted her shirt to put it back in her jacket. Naruto on the other hand turned at that moment seeing movement and caught a glimpse of a particularly soft perky mount hidden within the confines of Hinata's jacket as she put the pendent back inside it's depths.

For a split instant he was memorized and felt a warmth flow through him before looking up. Have his eyes meet with Hinata's Naruto found his chest tighten up in her gaze. Panicking he quickly turning his head faster then what someone would considered physically safe for a person's neck. Naruto focused his gaze squarely on Iruka. With a glazed focus on the instructor he tried to contemplate what had just happened. "What the hell was that?" he asked himself.

For a second Hinata was confused by his odd reaction before looking down and realizing that she had given Naruto quiet the sneak preview. Blushing harder then ever before she practically hid inside her jacked as smoke could be seen visibly coming off her head.

Shifting in his seat Naruto hoped Hinata didn't think he was sneaking a peak. Sure he was a boy but thanks to Mikon Naruto had little interest in the female body. He wasn't gay but he was forced to acclimate to it what with Mikon's constant exposure around him. Coupled with the fact he had snuck into the women's bath to combat Jiraiya's and Mikon's peeping numerous times Naruto was long past the curiosity stage which most boys his age where presently entering and more afraid of being chased by angry mobs of women. For some reason however something about seeing Hinata got him hot and bothered and he wasn't sure as to why. Maybe it was just the fact that unlike the bath house or onsen it wasn't common to see such things outside or in public. Figuring that was the reason why, Naruto tried to focus and shelve the image out of his mind. An act he was finding oddly difficult to do.

Turning his head back his eyes met with the Hinata's lavender white ones. For a second he recalled seeing her eyes somewhere before and tried to recall from when or where. Gazing into them he failed to see how uncomfortable his gaze was making her.

"Uzumaki Naruto..." Iruka stated aloud as he called out the name of the second member of Team 8.

Not expecting his name to be called and broken free from his trance Naruto shot his head up and shouted, "Yes!" which brought a chorus of laughter to bust out as Iruka sighed. Somehow Iruka suspected that Naruto wasn't paying attention since he did frequently sleep or go off into his own little world during lectures.

"Naruto, this meeting is important for freshly made genin so please pay attention. You are assigned to squad eight. As I already said you will be in a squad with Aburame Shino and before you interrupted I was about to inform you that your third teammate will be Hyuuga Hinata." Iruka stated matter-a-factly.

"Hai..." Naruto said in embarrassment as he sat back down in his seat. Turning his head he saw Ino snickering who again turned her head away after realizing he was looking at her. In the pit of his gut Naruto felt guilty but at the same time somewhere he felt relieved that she was the same as before.

He was a bit sad not to be teamed up with Ino but at the same time he knew he'd miss not being able to be on her team. Still nice to see that she could laugh at his foolishness. It was proof that even if they were apart they could still meet up again once everything had blown over and been fixed.

Looking at Hinata he quickly turned away as he wondered if he had managed to anger his first teammate if not completely made it so she hated him before they even became a team. It wouldn't be the first time a series of chance events in his life caused a girl to hate him.

Naruto heard a sneeze coming from his left and saw Sakura rubbing her nose. Turning his attention back to Iruka he listen quietly as the rest of the teams where listed off. He definitely didn't want to be scolded again in front of the class after all.

"So are there any questions?" Iruka asked the class as he finished his duty in informing them of who they would be with.

To his surprise Sakura stood up and pointed at Naruto. In her high pitch voice she shouted, "Sensei, why is that idiot Naruto here. He failed the graduation exam. Why did you let him graduate when he failed."

A round of murmurs started up as everyone's attention was directed at Naruto. Naruto cursing under his breath glaring at Sakura for causing him more trouble then he needed. Why did the pink banshee have to draw attention to him. Hell she seemed to just naturally cause him grief as if it was not even her intention.

Noticing the silent distress Naruto was expressing Iruka coughed to grab everyone's attention. Stating the reason as clearly as possible he told the genin why their residential blond had passed despite failing the test.

"The reason Naruto is here with us is because he demonstrated an ability to respond to a crisis and effectively combat said crisis after failing the graduation exam. In other words Naruto graduated as a reward for his contributions towards the village as of last week."

"But that just means he's getting special treatment. Isn't that unfair for Hinata and Shino? If their teamed up with a teammate who can't even do the basic jutsu required of us wouldn't that make then suffer and hold them back?" Sakura argued interrupting Iruka's explanation. Several people around the classroom nodded in agreement thinking of how unfair it was for the dead last of the class to have passed without passing the same requirements they needed to pass.

Naruto stood up drawing everyone's attention. Not wanting to rely completely on Iruka he also responded as a result of his emotion's flaring up at being described as dead last. He didn't consider himself dead last and had grown to dislike the term since he believed everyone had the ability to succeed if they worked hard enough for it.

"I don't see what you all are complain about. All of you passed and graduated the easy way. If you want it to be fair, fine. I'll take the stupid test again so long as each one of you challenges a Chunin and beats them to a bloody pulp to pass cuz that's what I had to do." Naruto shouted out confidently. He made mention of Mizuki's rank hoping to force some of them to realize that even a loser won't always be a loser.

Whispers started spreading like wild fire when he finished speaking. Even the normal aloof and brooding Shikamaru and Sasuke had turned their attention to Naruto. Sakura simply laughed at what Naruto was insinuating. "You mean to tell me you beat a Chunin in order to pass? Pffh, Yeah right. How could a blockhead idiot like you possibly beat a Chunin. Did face-planting into a tree causing them to laugh to death?" mockingly jeered.

The entire class laughed at the image with a few exceptions. Naruto obviously being one them and Hinata who didn't like Sakura belittling him. Unsurprisingly Sasuke and Choji weren't laughing either. One was in the midst of brooding while the other was too busy stuffing their face. Shikamaru wasn't laughing because unlike the rest of the class he noticed Iruka's reactions to Naruto's bold statement. Instead of laughing his calculative mind understood the implications of Iruka's reactions and simply looked at Naruto in astonishment. Thinking to himself he wondered how Naruto could take out a chunin level opponent and talk like it was nothing.

"That's enough Sakura." Iruka said firmly. "Regardless of your complaint if you want the decision to be undone then go talk with the Lord Third. Otherwise please sit down... unless you have something else you wish to voice out now." Iruaka said clearly displeased with the girl mocking her fellow genin. Sakura was smart enough to know his tone meant he wouldn't allow any more accusations and so sat down giving on last glare at Naruto before facing forward.

"Why did she glare at me like it was my fault, she's the one who brought it up." Naruto grumbled to himself as he picked up on the noticeable glare she through at him.

"Now," Iruka continued, "before I continue I would like to say this. Since the incident that Naruto aided the village in is still under investigation the information regarding it is classified. However it is true that Naruto defeated a Chunin and played a major roll in stopping a terrible incident from happening. As a result of this it was determined that Naruto's test result were unfit as they failed to measure his actual skills. To that end the Hokage evaluated his work and gave the okay for him to be a genin. Even if it was barely a pass." he finished giving a knowing look at Naruto who returned it with a smile. He knew that the last bit was just a means of getting the class to accept the explanation and mentally thanked Iruka for the support.

Pleased that his answer seemed to satisfy most of his students Iruka continued onto the final words of wisdom he would give his students. "Now you all know your teams and teammates. Until further notice all of you are to wait here for your Jounin instructors in this classroom. I expect all of you to be responsible and wait properly. I am proud to have been your sensei and look forward to watching your careers flourish. Remember though that as genin in the eyes of society you all are adults. So this means all of you will have to take on the responsibilities that entitles. Acting like kids will no linger be excused as the next generation will be looking up at you from now on. That means no more fooling around, slacking or pranking people,that means you Kiba, Shikamaru, Naruto."

The class snickered at this while Naruto rolled his eyes at the slight jab. "Yes Iruka-sensei." He sang as he gazed uninterested into space. As he gazed out the window Naruto wondered if he should mention that it was too late not to prank anymore as he already placed an experimental seal on all the Anbu's underwear so they would disappear within the hour, at least that's what it was suppose to do.

Making his way to the door Iruka paused before opening it. "I almost forgot, Naruto." Iruka said as he called out to Naruto. Not expecting to be called again Naruto looked up curious as to what it was he wanted to say. "The Hokage wanted me to remind you that you're not allowed to reveal any of the details regarding last weeks incident." Iruka stated with a smile as he shut the door behind him.

Leaving, Iruka left behind a very confused Naruto. Thinking back to his talk with the Hokage Naruto couldn't recall his Jiji saying anything in regards to keeping what happened a secret other then a few details like Mizuki and him taking the scroll. Wondering why Iruka made a point to say, it was at that moment that everyone presently interested in what happened swarm Naruto for answers. Naruto sat rooted stiff as the swarm of questions the class had flooded him all at once.

"Did you really beat a Chunin?"

"How did you pass?"

"How did a loser like you become a Chunin?"

"Did you really put glitter on all of the ANBU masks in the village?"

Naruto wasn't sure what to make of the barrage of questions. Part of him liked everyone noticing him but for some reason he really didn't like the fact the attention was due to curiosity of such a painful event. It was then that it dawned on him why Iruka said what he did. Thanking him mentally again Naruto sat quietly as those around him pestered him for answers.

Shikamaru growing irritated at the ruckus being made told off the group crowding Naruto. "Knock it off you guys, Iruka already said Naruto can't talk about it so sit down already."

Not everyone took his words kindly.

"Shut it Shikamaru. Just because you're to lazy to care doesn't mean we aren't interested" Sakura stated as she got up to glare at Naruto. Naruto wondered how she could be so blatantly heartless one minute then expect him to respond like she never was the next. "So explain why after failing the test that everyone else had to pass you got the special treatment and graduated anyway." she asked again as if she was entitled to have an answer.

Thankful for Iruka's white lie Naruto simply shrugged as made use of his excuse. "Iruka-sensei and Jiji said I couldn't talk about it."

The last thing he wanted to deal with was Sakura berating him so simply not answer was the best he could do since ignoring her was an up hill battle. Naruto glanced over to see Ino was staring at him again. The desire to also know practically sparkled in her eyes which left Naruto regretting making eye contact with her. "Not you too..." He grumbled in his head.

"Great, even Ino wants to know." he sighed mentally as he tried to block out the ramblings of the pink haired girl looming over him who was constantly demanding an answer. An act easier said then done considering the fist the pink banshee had just thrown landed squarely on his face. With a thud Naruto landed on the ground dazed not expecting the sudden punch to his face.

As Hinata rose from her seat to check on Naruto, Sakura continued to shout in a childish fury.

"Stop ignoring me you weirdo! I asked why you get special treatment when even Sasuke-kun didn't. So start explaining. Why did a loser like you get to pass while Sasuke-kun who's better then you had to actually pass the test to graduate."

Sasuke... in the end her problem with him revolved around Sasuke. Not surprised at this Naruto wondered how Sakura even managed to pass the graduate test herself when all she ever thought about was her precious Sasuke-kun. Getting up Naruto wanted to put the girl in her place but stopped when he felt a hand on his.

Looking down he saw Hinata holding his hand. While the girl quickly withdrew her hand in embarrassment it left the desired affect. Calmed down enough to think rationally, Naruto realized that if he clobbered Sakura now like he wanted too then he would be blamed and punished for starting a fight despite not being the aggressor. Well if he did throw the first punch he would be but even if he didn't they would still blame him as being the problem child.

The adults where always unfair like that, anything they could use to punish him with was usually used, even when it wasn't his fault or have anything to do with him. Turning to Sakura Naruto smiled as he said mockingly with confidence, "Who knows, maybe I'm just better then Sasuke."

This infuriated Sakura and caused a roar of laughter from those paying attention. The idea that Naruto was better then the classes number one student caused several to fall to the ground in a fit of laughter. Ignoring the jeers from his classmates who could still stand Naruto kept his smile up as he slipped a strip of paper into the flap of Sakura's dress.

Not everyone was taking the comment well however. Hearing Naruto's statement Sasuke stood up and glared down at Naruto. "Mind repeating that moron." he said clutching the corner of his desk in an iron grip as he tried to restrain his anger. For reasons the class did not know, Naruto's words struck a cord within Sasuke and sparked and old hatred deep within him.

Naruto looked at him with a half-hearted glance. "Sure I'll repeat it. Maybe I'm just better then you."

No sooner did he finish speaking was he sent flying backwards by Sasuke's fist. Not even realizing when he was hit Naruto twisted his center of mass in midair to land on the wall. Using his legs Naruto shot off the wall aiming right for Sasuke. Catching his punch Naruto twisting again in mid-air and threw a kick which Sasuke blocked with easy by bring up his arm. Freeing Naruto's hand and with the blond stuck in mid air, Sasuke took the opportunity to grab the leg he just blocked and maneuvered to chuck Naruto down to the floor.

Twisting his waist Naruto used his left arm to grab the desk inhibiting Sasuke's attempt to throw him. With a solid grip on the desk Naruto swung is other foot around kicking off Sasuke's grip on his leg and using only his arm strength while holding the desk brought both of his feet down from the air towards Sasuke's head.

Dodging the double drop kick Sasuke readied his fist to punch Naruto while he remained in the vulnerable position he landed in when his kicks missed. Before he could attack he was forced to quickly switched back to defense by Naruto's counter.

Pushed the desk with his hands to move himself the blond spun around violently resulting in another violent kick aimed right for Sasuke's head. Forced into blocking the kick Sasuke brought up his right arm to block the attack but noticed it felt different from the previous kick. Realizing the reason a second to late Sasuke found himself falling to the ground having been tripped by Naruto.

To the rest of the class it almost looked like Naruto was break dancing and free form. It almost looked like he was fighting drunk but without being drunk.

Holding the desk Naruto's leg struck Sasuke's block which he used to push off, swinging his other leg around into a low leg sweep. Uprooting Sasuke's stance Naruto landed right up with his fist poised for a downward punch.

Sasuke quickly counted with his legs pushing off with his hands he nailed Naruto in the chin causing him to roll backwards into the desk behind him. Adrenaline pumping through both their veins Naruto shouted out, "What's your deal? Did I strike a nerve that maybe I might be better then you."

While he was upset Naruto knew something was up. It wasn't like Sasuke to lash out just because someone claimed to be stronger then him. If anything he would have ignored him like the last place loser everyone thought of him as. Sure the bastard was annoying and a pain, but he wasn't usually aggressive like this. Though Naruto had to admit after that exchange any belief that he was superior to Sasuke went out the window. Sasuke had countered his attacks easily and nailed him twice while Naruto had yet to land a single solid hit.

Just as Sasuke was about to retort the first Jounin instructor came into the room to retrieve the genin they would be looking after.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Aburame Shiba, Hyuuga Hinata. My name is Kurenai Yuuhi and I am your Jounin Instructor. Come with me please so we can get started on your journey as true shinobi." Kurenai said ignoring the fight present in front of her.

After Kurenai finished her brief introduction and commands she walked back out of the classroom not even acknowledging that her students where following her. Leaving several students confused as to why she didn't make any mention of the fight only a few noticed Shino Aburame make his way to the door since most had their eyes set on the fights outcome.

"N-naruto-kun, lets go." Hinata said as she too made her way over to the door where Shino, with all his air of mystery, stood waiting for them. Naruto nodded as he acknowledged Hinata. Still eyeing Sasuke carefully he made his way to the door. Something was off about Sasuke just now but couldn't quite place what the cause was. All the way to the door the two unofficial rivals stared off at each other before Naruto turned to leave, breaking the staring contest between them.

After Team 8 left Naruto could hear Sakura squealed as she jumped up an down. "That was awesome Sasuke-kun you sure showed him."

Clearly infatuated with Sasuke, she saw the end result as a complete victory for Sasuke as many other girls felt the same way.

Sasuke ignored all of them as he made his way back to his desk. His thoughts where a fury of raging earth shattering doubts about his own strength. The match was anything but as Sakura claimed to be, "complete victory". Sasuke being far more observant had seen that he didn't land a single lasting impact on Naruto. Sure he hit him with several clean hits but none of them had really effected Naruto in the slightest. Even his kick which landed cleanly under his chin only resulting in Naruto rolling back which he guessed soften the impact. A week ago that kick would have floored him during practice. Now all of a sudden Naruto was good enough to fight him on almost equal footing.

Another thing was the question of his moves. Where did he learn those taijutsu moves. Naruto's unothadox movements didn't seem to hold any taijutsu stance or style and appeared to be completely random and improvised. Not only that Sasuke could tell that each movement was trained and well practiced despite seeming random. For the most part although he got some strikes in, not once in the exchange did he feel he held the initiative.

Glancing back at the desk that Naruto had grabbed a hold of to maneuver his legs, his thoughts grew more clouded and dark as he started questioning Naruto's true strength. The damage left behind by Naruto's grip had broken the smooth surface of the desk. As Sasuke continued to brood over these thoughts he began to question if the losers words where closer to the truth then he would have liked.

Such thought where quickly beaten away as Sasuke refused to admit such thing was possible. "It had to be a fluke there's no way that loser could be that strong. I'm much stronger then he is." Sasuke reaffirmed to himself as he tried to quell the doubts growing in his mind. The words and face of his older brother haunted his mind as he saw Naruto's image briefly over lap his.

"There's no way I'm gonna be outdone by that loser. No way in hell." he declared confidently as his eyes glowed briefly a menacingly red hue.

* * *

 **And there we go. The birth of Team 8, The first sign of Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry and the hint of turmoil that is to come. This one was a headache during primary editing. I don't know why but July hates me for some reason.**

 **Anyway It's looking like I'll have all of August to work on getting ahead in my chapters. Once again review and comment, I do respond to them and I like conversing with those that do. I like knowing what stuff you guys like in my writing and what stuff you'll are looking forward to seeing in my writing.**

 **In any case I have the Iwa Border Arc (10-13) planned out and should be posted up in time for the New Year.**

 **I am also planning to post an additional chapter early for September 22nd along with the usual end of month post on the 30th. Anyway personally I felt this chapter was lacking, not sure why. Also the last scene was the first fight scene I really focused on so give me your opinion in comparison to the previous one with Jiraiya and Mikon. It's suppose to be fast paced to match Naruto's style since he essentially controlled the pace of the fight.**

 **Anyway here's to a successful chapter, another month, and to editing of chapter 7 I'm currently doing.**

 **Next Chapter, Chatper 7 :: Genin vs Jounin**

 **P.S. For those of you asking I have come to a conclusion on Sasuke and have a plot in mind for his involvement. No I won't give away spoilers. +best**

 **-White**


	7. Chapter 7

**This is the disclaimer: I don't Own Naruto. I do own my imagination. Enjoy Chapter**

* * *

 **Chapter 7** **:: Genin vs Jounin**

* * *

Kurenai lead her team to the designated and her preferred training ground, the fifth training ground.

The heavily forested area was packed with thick foliage and trees that prevented not but the most intense rays of the sun from passing through. Several small clearings existed for taijutsu sparing and where for the most part the only source of illuminate for the deep and dense forest. To the east was rough and rocky plateau that seemed to jet straight out of the earth. Easily two kilometer in diameter the flat peek at the top was home to a vast grassy plain where a lake, situated in the center divided the plateau. The river that extended outward from the lake provided a source of fertility to the lush peak and upon reaching the end of the plateau cascaded into a vast waterfall. If one descended behind the waterfall an entrance into the plateau could be found where an array of natural caves and underground springs dotted the mountains interior.

Out of all the training grounds with the exception of the Forest of Death, the fifth was the most diverse and expansive location within Konoha. Kurenai felt lucky to have been given the priority to use it since she knew her team would have to adapt to many foreign environments and would need the open space.

As the team entered the grounds Kurenai led them to the inner most spot where three logs stood in the ground standing upright towards the vast sky. Turning around to great her team she smiled at them. Kurenai was a little surprised at the three genin following her seemed to relax a bit after seeing her smile. In hindsight her smile was probably a welcome sight after walking through the dark and ominous woods surrounding them. Traveling in such a place in silence would cause any kid to tense up fearing what lay in store for them.

"Alright find a seat and make yourselves comfortable. Before we begin there are a few things we need to do first before you start your journey as genin." She said trying to break the tension up even more as she herself took to relaxing against one of the logs hoping they would relax in a similar manner.

Shino preferring to simply stand where he was showed no sign of movement. A vast contrast in comparison to his fellow teammates. Hinata who was the least tense out of the three having already known Kurenai well, took a seat on the grass in front of her. One could easily mistake her for royalt when she sat down for she did so with the grace and air of nobility that had been expected of her at all times within the Hyuuga clan. She gave the air an almost calm and quaint feeling to those present.

An air that was shattered as Naruto vying for his own method of relaxation fell backwards stiffly, landing on his back between his teammates in a similar manner one would use to make a snow angel. Kurenai chuckled a little at the sight of the conflicting personalities that where before her. A polite princess, an unruly troublemaker, and the quiet reclusive type.

"To start with I'll like for us to introduce ourselves to each other." she said continuing to observing her students carefully.

"Introduce ourselves? What as in our likes and dislikes?" Naruto asked without hesitation.

"That's right. However it's not just our like and dislikes Naruto. Other things like your goals, ambitions, and hopes as well. This way we get to understand you and you will be able to understand your teammates. Not only that but it will give me an indication as to how to train you three both individually and as a team." Kurenai replied pleased to see him paying attention. "Would you like to start us off?"

Sitting up cross legged Naruto nodded confidently. "Sure, I'm Naruto Uzumaki. What I like is ramen. I don't dislike any particular ramen so in general I like all ramen. What I dislike is the time I have to wait before I eat ramen. My goal is to become the greatest Hokage and a strong ninja like Oji-san and the old man. And I hope to one day understand wha- who I am."

When Naruto finished Kurenai smiled to hide the concern his last statement presented. While he did say what his likes and dislikes he also avoided giving out too much information. While that was good thing considering he wanted to be a ninja she couldn't tell if he was just being straight forwardly honest or hiding behind a white lie. His final statement caused her the most concern and triggered her to think back to the Hokage's words.

From his eyes she could tell that whatever caused his 'hope' to be self discovery was a deep wound to his heart. One wouldn't have known he suffered so much considering how brightly his eye's glowed with enthusiasm. Knowing better then to pry and that she would have to earn his trust to learn the cause, continued their introductions. "Shino would you like to go next?" She asked.

The stoic young man nodded as he spoke with literally zero emotion. "I'm Shino Aburame, I like insects and hate pesticides. I aspire to make my name as a Shinobi and dream of finding a new breed of insect."

"You're just like your father Shino." Kurenai thought to herself. Knowing that she wasn't going to get more out of him, Kurenai nodded and turned to Hinata.

"I-I'm Hinata of the Hyuuga clan. I-I like cinnamon buns and well...um..." she started drifting off as she glanced at Naruto who was watching her. Blushing brightly as she tried looking for something else to focus on continued her introduction. "I... um... well... dislike... um... t-those w-who give up a-and d-don't ac-ackn-knowledge o-others. A-and I-I h-hope to s-stand ou-out and b-be a great kunoichi."

Kurenai held back her desire to smile at the girl's stiffness. Despite the stuttering she was definitely forcing herself out of her shell. Sitting next to Naruto seemed to be more then the girl could handle and she was surprised that the girl seemed to have feelings for the boy next to her. Happy that the troublemaker had such a positive effect as motivating the girl made her pleased she didn't refuse to have the boy on her team. In the back of her mind her maternal instincts where screaming at her to keep an eye on him.

Making sure the genjutsu she had placed on them was still working Kurenai reaching into her pocket. The three watched as she pulled out two bells. "Good now that we got that out of the way we can now begin your final test."

"Wait what!? What do you mean test?" Naruto shouted not expecting the turn of events.

Smiling Kurenai replied, "The graduation test is a preliminary evaluation of who can be genin Naruto. However we Jounin get the final say. You see in order to pass, you three must each attempt to get a bell from me, however since there are only two bells this means..."

"One of us will fail and be sent back." Shino answered.

"Well observed Shino. Yes, That is the situation that you three are currently in. There are two bells which logically mean only two of you will pass. However there is the result where none of you get a bell and fail."

"W-what happens if we fail?" Hinata asked.

"Those that fail will be sent back to the Academy. Though if I deem you less then worthy of being ninja, you might find yourselves forbidden from becoming ninja."

Kurenai's harsh words sank in the three genin. Hinata's sat there as her doubts started to overwhelm her. The fear of failing again in the eyes of her elders loomed heavily on her.

Standing up instantly Naruto charged forward surprising everyone present. With a burst of speed he reached out to grab the bells that Kurenai was holding. What he reached for however was the illusion of the bells that was a few inches the the left of his hand.

As his fingers approached the bells the feeling of success was replaced with confusion as Naruto watched his fingers passed right through the bells. At full force Naruto passed through the illusion of Kurenai and smashing headfirst into the log she was leaning against leaving a solid facial impression into the log.

"N-Naruto-kun!?" Shouting out Hinata rushed over to check on the reckless blond.

The illusion of Kurenai stepped back while she took in what just happened. She knew he was reckless but this was something else. All she said was that they had to obtain the bell. Technically Naruto didn't break any rule and if given the situation her guard was down. Naruto clearly didn't notice the genjutsu she had place on the three of them back in the class room but had he done so... Kurenai smiled behind the illusion that her first bell test might be more interesting then she thought.

Snickering slightly Kurenai dangled the two bells before them. "I didn't say you could start yet Naruto though I also didn't say you had to wait either. Either way I'm glad to see you're able to express your desire to pass in such a straight forward manner, but keep in mind unlike _that_ chunin, I'm a jounin which means this won't be easy for any of you. And on that note, good luck you three."

Holding up her hand and forming a hand sign, leaves swirled around her as space distorted her image as the joinin instructor vanished from the trio's eyes. At the moment of her disappearance a flurry of kunai shot towards the three genin signaling for them to begin. Naruto, Shino, and Hinata scattered as they evaded the kunai. The test had begun.

Quickly finding a hiding place Shino dispersed his bugs to seek out Kurenai true location. Hinata not wanting to fail her teammates was filled with determination as she activated her byakugan. She quickly spotted Kurenai off in a not to distance open field. Turning her head she was distracted and surprised to see Naruto within her vision. Charged straight through the woods Naruto was making his way straight towards Kurenai's location. Breaking out of the wooded area charging straight for Kurenai like a thrown kunai Naruto turned into a streak of orange as he went flying towards her.

Kurenai stood in the center of a nearby open field. She stood there waiting behind the genjutsu that overlapped her image. A simple misdirection jutsu but its effects where strong once placed. A Taijutsu specialist like Gai could easily beat her hands down, but its purpose worked wonders by leaving the oppisition exposed to counter blows. Looking towards where she could feel the presence of Hinata, Shino and Naruto she smiled to herself. While the basic's of any ninja is to conceal his or her presence and hide for the opertue time to strike that was not of interest for her right now. Regardless if they knew how to hide or not she would have to teach them stealth from the ground up since the stealth required for reconnaissance was vastly different from attack from the shadows which the academy tought. Sensing one of the genin heading straight for her Kureani was pleased that one of the genin could locate her so quickly since finding the unseen was far more important to her evaluation then mear hiding.

"And so lesson one of shinobi tactics, taijutsu." Kurenai muttered aloud as Naruto shot into view heading straight at her.

Not even making note of what Kurenai had muttered Naruto rushed straight in immediately preformed as series of combo' s that most would call faints had each one not been meant to hit. Dancing and jumping around her Kurenai felt her personal space being constantly harassed by his exaggerated movements. It wasn't a problem for her to avoid his flurry of attacks if not for the consistently odd angles and positions her was performing in. Handstand kicks, Spinning kicks off his back, A back fist in mid air, shoulder strike from a failed forward punch, Kurenai was fascinated as she was actually surprised at how difficult it was to deal with such abstract attacks. Pleased that he wasn't a complete wash in taijutsu and wasn't afraid to engage a stronger opposite. Naruto switching rhythm in mid battle shifted backward into a low stance before launching forward into a quick and straight jab. Grabbing his extended fist as it approached Kurenai easily inhibited his ability to strike her catching him flatfooted.

Before he could break free from her grasp Kurenai kicked his leg up pulling him up and over into a shoulder throw. Adding his own momentum into her throw Naruto was sent flying face first into a tree again, where he fell ungracefully to the ground.

"If you keep this up we'll have to start worrying about finding your face imprinted on all the trees here." Kurenai jokingly stated. Readying herself for his teammates to show up a sudden thought occurred to her. How did Naruto know where she was and get to her so quickly? Both Shino and Hinata had their family jutsu to locate her so by what means did he find her. Looking over her shoulder she could sense Shino and Hinata's arrival. Having just arrived themselves even with their family jutsu, the speed at which Naruto found her was nearly impossible. Sure he could have just picked a direction and gone straight but even Naruto wasn't that brain dead.

Getting back up and once again in mid charge Naruto threw himself at Kurenai who readied to grab him again. Instead of an uncontrolled and predictable charge Naruto stopped just short of her and began another relentless assault this time using his limbs to try and blind her from his actual attacks. While poorly executed, it was cute that he was attempting something he clearly wasn't practiced in. However it did prove one thing, he was thinking and there was intent behind his attacks.

Easily avoided his attacks with her genjutsu Kurenai asked, "Tell me Naruto how do you know that you would find me here?"

Not letting up a bit Naruto simply smiled. "No clue... I had a feeling you where here and so I went this way."

Twisting her body and dodging the barrage of punches and kicks he sent her way Kurenai grinned seriously. "Running off without backup against an opponent stronger then you isn't smart Naruto." She said while internally she was surprised at how quickly his attacks seemed to be adapting, becoming more focused, coming closer and closer to hitting her. Grabbing his jacket Kurenai made ready to toss him again. In mid throw however Naruto twisted his center of mass and spun sharply out of her grasp.

Landing on all fours Naruto looked up quickly realizing he had just destroyed his orange jacket which was still in Kurenai's grasp. "Oh come on, It took me weeks to fix that up."

Kurenai wanted to retort that it wasn't in good condition to begin with but held her breath.

Tossing the orange jumpsuit that remained in her hand aside Kurenai scanned both it and Naruto. The jumpsuit she had was completely torn in half. The missing left sleeve and front zipper was all that remained on Naruto as it dangled loosely off of his arm and shoulder. Underneath his jumpsuit Naruto was wearing a black t-shirt that clearly had seen many years of use. Seeing the range of patchworks range from amateurish to skilled all over his shirt and jumpsuit made her wonder if he was the one repairing the damage it endured. Looking back at the jumpsuit which the boy was famous for upon closer inspection saw that its quality wasn't even bottom shelf. Considering how vigorously he fought and trained it almost seemed impossible for it to still be in one piece even now. Sure it was now missing it sleeve and zipper but the entire thing should have been in shreds instead of two pieces.

Distracted with her observations she barely registered Naruto taking up his third assault as he spawned three kunai from a scroll that had be lashed onto his shirt by some string. Blinded by the puff of smoke she didn't witness him thrown the kunai but still grabbed the first thrown to deflect the other two.

With both kunai spinning in mid air she returned the first kunai aiming for Naruto who had just burst through the white cloud. Nailing him right in the shoulder the boy screamed but kept the pressure on. Taken aback by the recklessness of his engagement Kurenai knew she would have to teach the boy to be more concerned with his own well-being as well as proper protective gear. Stretched her arms out to grab the two kunai falling back down she was caught off guard as they burst into smoke revealing two clones which grabbed her arms. Unable to shake them off she watched as Naruto made his way to cut loose on of the twin bells.

As Kurenai watched this she couldn't help but be impressed. Even if she was holding back a great deal for a mere genin to pressure her this much and demonstrate such tactics and skill was surprising for her. Unbeknownst to her, she wasn't the only one who was impressed with the blonds bold and determined style.

Hinata and Shino watched in amazement as Naruto reach out towards their collective objective. Both where left speechless at the boys relentless pursuit of the bells. Shino in particular stood impressed as he doubted any of his previous classmates would be able to keep up such a relentless assault. Stamina aside Shino knew that against a jounin such actions would never work but that just made him more impressed. Even though he knew that Kurenai was simply toying with them it did little to detract from the display of determination and confidence. If anything Naruto's persistence was only made more admirable since anyone else in his position would have given up against fighting someone who was on such a different level.

Even in amazement Shino wasn't one to waste a single moment and strategically commanded his jutsu. As his Insects slowly encircled the area Shino made preparation to acquire a bell. See clearly that a frontal assault wouldn't work and that genjutsu was probable involved he had to establish a means of keeping tabs on Kurenai's location. Thankfully at that moment despite the fierce battle Naruto was engaging in a female insect had succeeded in landing on Kurenai giving him a sense of where the she was.

As Hinata watched Naruto struggle against the impossible odds she found her own courage to challenge the odds growing inside her. Even if she failed, even if she made a fool of herself, If nothing else she could at least look at Naruto and say she tried her best. Such thoughts began taking root as she began to feel more determined to give it her all.

Sensing the presence of the other two Kurenai decided she had tested and entertained Naruto long enough and decided to focus on testing the other two. While to twin bell test was a tradition Kurenai was only using it as an excuse to see how well the three genin could do and what they would do. Naruto having demonstrated to talent to challenge those stronger then himself had passed her test as a potential vanguard of the team.

Naruto who was in the middle of reaching for the bells wasn't sure what to make of her last words as just before he reached the bell she whispered into his ear, "Lesson two... Ninjutsu"

With a pop Naruto found himself once again in a rather intimate facial position with yet another wooden object.

"Substitution!" both Hinata and Shino thought aloud. Shino quickly sending out his insects to once again search for Kurenai's location Hinata evaluated the environment before making her way to check on Naruto.

"GOD DAMNIT I WAS SOO CLOSE!"

Shouting at the top of his lungs Naruto rolled on the ground clutching his face. Sitting back up only to see Kurenai had made a subtle retreat cried out proudly with a sinister grin, "It's not over yet damn it, I'm gonna win Dattebayo! **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!** "

Phasing into existence fifteen clones took form. As the Naruto's lept off into the surrounding forest in search of the jounin one of them kept still for a moment. Trying to get a feeling as to where Kurenai was the Naruto didn't move until a shimmer of light caught his eye. Spotting a bell laying down near the base of a tree he quickly realized it was exactly what it looked like.

"It's one of the bells!" Jumping up and down for joy he rushed over and bent down to pick it up.

"N-no Naruto-kun it's..." Hinata shouted a little too late as she watched him go flying up dangling from a loop snare. "... a trap"

Appearing from behind to tree Kurenai shook her head displeased. Standing below him she looked up at him as the bell at her feet vanished form view. "Genjutsu..." Naruto muttered from the corner of his mouth.

"Come now Naruto, there is a limit to falling for such obvious setups." Kurenai critisized. The sound of a spark and sputtering light prevented her form continuing her lecture as her instincts instructed her to jump backwards.

With a resounding boom Naruto exploded. Hinata having seen Naruto explode nearly felt her chest cave in. If not for what she saw around the cloud of dust she would have fallen in despair right then and there.

Nearly having been caught in the blast Kurenai had to admit she was careless. "Should have seen that coming. Explosive tags combined with a shadow clone, nicely done. However you still haven't gotten the bell."

Turning around she was greeted by the clones that he had dispersed earlier.

"We're not done yet!" they shouted in unison as a black cloud appeared behind them several clones who panicked. "What the?"

" **Hijutsu: Mushidama"** , a stout voice muttered within the nearby shrubbery.

J/N: Hidden Jutsu: Insect Sphere

Having little forewarning the clones where helpless as they were swallowed up in the wave of bugs that made there way towards Kurenai.

Jumping backwards to avoid them Kurenai spun around and had to duck as Shino unleashed a right hook that missed the Jounin by mere inches. Having missed Shino retreated back into hiding as he forced Kurenai away form him with his swarm of insects. As the insects continued to try and surround her Kurenai found herself stuck in a sticky situation as Naruto now no longer bothered by the insects had renewed his assault on her. The swarm of insects alone put her in a difficult position but Kurenai was more surprised by Naruto. Despite them being clones the skill of his taijutsu was still the same as before along with his agility. While he couldn't land a hit on her he was successfully forcing her off balanced and keeping her from countering with any of her jutsu. She had to mentally stop herself from going above the skill limit she imposed on herself.

Proud of Shino's perfectly timed attack Kurenai watched as he used Naruto's 'distraction' to his advantage and was now finding herself becoming slightly irritated with the blond's constant interference. She had wanted to test the other two specifically which was why she bothered with a trap but even then he kept her on her toes. Not only that but even with her genjutsu which was preventing him from hitting her, somehow the blond was still aiming close enough to apply pressure on her. His persistence while admirable only made her wish more that he'd think about working with the other two. Especially considering how well the combination of insects and blond taijutsu was putting a dampener on her test. She was seriously tempted to go all out to move on to test their other teammate.

The though tuned to a mute point as at that moment Naruto pulled back at the same time as Hinata began her own attempt in acquiring a bell. Readying herself for the addition of Hinata in the crazy free for all battle Kurenai reached down subconsciously and noticed that she was already one bell down. "When did..?" she asked herself before recalling Naruto's explosion. Kurenai wondered if it had knocked one of the bells loose.

For a second she thought he had managed to get a bell and was proud of him for successfully acquiring it but guessed that wasn't the case as seven Naruto's reengaged her by charging her from behind.

"I guess I should get a little serious. Lesson three, genjutsu! **Magen: Jubaku Satsu** "

J/N: Demon Illusion: Tree Binding Death

Naruto watched as trees grew out of the ground and wrapped around him and his clones. Struggling he found he couldn't break free of the illusion.

Kurenai turned her attention to Hinata who had scene through the illusion and was successfully avoiding her attack. "You have to admit the power of the byakugan is amazing." Kurenai admitted as she made her way to engage Hinata personally having distracted Shino's insects and trapped Naruto.

Closing into range Hinata charged in. Having seen through the genjutsu she had no trouble staving off the illusionary limbs. "Nonetheless, if you can't get close enough your gentle fist means little to me." Kurenai contained as she avoided Hinata's initial strikes.

Dancing out of the way of Hinata's strikes she observed her movements. While rough in some places and while a bit hesitant Hinata was quite formidable. "Hinata, once you figure out how to not let your kindness hold you back you're gonna become a great kunoichi." Kurenai thought to her self.

As she smiled at the hope of proving the sick bastard wrong, Kurenai grabbed Hinata's arm before pulling it behind her. Thrusting her to the ground Kurenai held Hinata in place. Finding herself unable to break free Hinata gave up on moving. Finding herself pinned to the ground Hinata looked down in defeat. Why was she so weak. In the end she would always be a loser. As the thoughts caused tears to start to well up she felt the darkness within her heart creap up and shiver down her thoughts.

"GOD DAMN IT! I'm not gonna lose here."

Startled, Hinata straining her neck and watched Naruto struggle from his confines. Why was it he was so strong she wondered to herself. How is it that Naruto could believe he could win even when he was bound like that.

"How the hell am I gonna win when I'm stuck like this?" another of the Naruto's screamed out in it's own frustration. Barely able to move he found himself in quite the pickle. "Think. I suck at genjutsu and have no way to break out... well I do have one method," feeling the the explosive tag in his pocket, "but that way's gonna hurt."

"You three only have two minutes left better do something if you don't want to lose." Kurenai stated observing the sun's decent.

Hearing this Naruto gave himself up to whatever fate his action brought upon him. Pulling out the tag he shouted, "Fine then. If it's the only way I have no choice." Seeing the tag Kurenai became slightly unnerved as she tried to stop Naruto from doing something desperate.

"Just relax Naruto, even if you lose..."

"I haven't lost yet!" Naruto screamed cutting Kurenai off. Lighting the tag in his hand he braced himself as it exploded. The pain of his skin burning of his arm shattered the illusion. From the explosion Naruto dropping to the ground in pain clutched his arm in agony. "S-see. I broke free." He growled under his breath as he pulled himself together. Pulling a kunai out from his scroll he threw it at Kurenai forcing her to break her hold on Hinata.

Seeing her chance Hinata pulled out her own kunai aiming to cut loose one of the bells dangling from Kurenai's waist. Seeing the threat, Kurenai made he way to step out of the girls range but found Naruto waiting for her. Creating several clones Naruto created a barrage a shuriken by transforming them into shuriken while the remaining clones threw kunai into the metallic shower. Shifting enough to dodge them by the skin of her teeth Kurenai was left helpless as the clones that had henge'd turned back into clones. Grabbing a hold of a kunai on of the clones stopped Kurenai's retreat just enough to prevent Hinata from missing.

With a swift stroke a bell tolled and fell before Hinata.

Grabbing the bell Hinata pull free from the chaos as a series of more clones appeared and dog-piled the jounin. As Hinata stood up with the bell in hand she looked at it surprised that she managed to grab it. Turning her head she could hear a buzzer go off form underneath the pile of Naruto's.

Further surprising her Kurenai appeared next to her and shouted, "Alright times up, Shino, Hinata meet us by the three log posts where we began."

Disappearing in a whirlwind of leaves Hinata watched as the pile of Naruto's sudden burst into smoke leaving no trace of the odd scene that had just occurred. Realizing the Naruto didn't get the chance to grab a bell she rushed to the three posts only to find Shino already present and Naruto tied up like a present against one of the posts.

Hinata held back a smile as she watched Naruto who continued to struggle despite the test already being over. Heading over to join them she moved to ask her not to fail Naruto. Kurenai beat her to the punch however when she started praising them.

"Well done Shino... Hinata. Both of you managed to get a bell which means you both pass. And that means Naruto... you failed."

Growling at the ground Naruto would have vented his frustration and punched something if not for having his hands tied. Flailing violently Naruto struggled against his bindings he only half-heartedly listened to Kurenai praise his teammates. Hinata found it slightly cute how he struggled to bite through the bindings tying him up. It almost looked like the rope was elastic as he tried to chew and rip them apart.

"Shino, your timing and strategy of using your jutsu was flawless. Using Naruto as a distraction to have your insects retrieve the bell I dropped and then using this female beetle to track my location afterwards to avoid encountering me was well thought out. You showed exceptional situational awareness and tactical thought, well done. "

Turning to Hinata she continued, "As for you Hinata even after I put you in that hold while you did give up you didn't give up. When given the chance you stood back up and continued to persevere, I am very proud of you. On top of that making the most of your eyes you passed through my genjutsu and making use of your observation skilled to avoid Naruto's attack to retrieve the bell shows great talent and potential within you. I am very proud of your progress, well done.

Hinata blushed at the honest praise Kurenai presented to her. She felt the happy warmth the filled her fade slightly as Kurenai turned to their final teammate.

Taking a breath Kurenai turned to gaze at Naruto as she thought to herself, "Let the test begin." She had saved the best for last and now she would see if everything would work out as she hoped. She felt a it was a little sickening that she was taking a page for kakashi's book with this test but hoped the results would be worth it.

"Naruto Uzumaki. Do you know why you couldn't get a bell?"

Ignoring her question Naruto continued to flail as he tried to wiggle his way free. Even Kurenai had to wonder why the ropes she used seemed to have elastic like properties as the Naruto tried pulling at it like taffy. His attention shot up towards Kurenai when she threw a palm strike just short of missing his face. Glaring at him, Naruto swallowed as he shook his head. Honestly he didn't feel like he failed. He gave it his all, held nothing back, and failed. All he had with him was a few projectiles a couple of paper bombs his transformations, clones, and taijutsu. In the end none of it was enough but he gave it his best shot.

His best shot however just wasn't enough.

"Naruto, your far to reckless and rash. You charged at an opponent many times stronger then you without a plan or a team to back you up. Did you once consider working with Hinata or Shino. Did you even try to discuss with them what your skills where and how best to use them as a team. While the three of you didn't do this, Shino and Hinata where smart enough to hide and wait for the opportune time to strike. You, you charge in head first without a plan or strategy and left not only yourself vulnerable but open to attack as well. In the real world Naruto, you will be the first to die."

Naruto kept quiet as he listened. Everything she said was right. He didn't have a plan, the only reason he charged in without one was because up until then he found that when fighting a tough enemy he was stronger when he relied on his instincts and reflexes. If this had been a real mission with real consequences, he would have died.

"Naruto Uzumaki, I Kurenai Yuhi deem you unfit to be a genin on this team."

"Kurenai-sensei that is illogical." Shino said as he stepped forward. Turning to look at the insect user while pleased Kurenai was surprised he spoke up and not Hinata.

"While what you said is true in terms of skill and ability Naruto is fit to be a genin. Also what you said about him not working with myself and Hinata... what you said is not entirely true."

Turning to look at Naruto he thought carefully before continuing. "While he did rush in which was reckless his actions be no means inhibited Hinata's or my own ability to attack. On top of this fact the two of us are just as guilty of not trying to communicate a strategy with Naruto as well let alone each other. In fact it was Naruto's reckless pursuit against you that enabled myself to retrieve one of the bells. The same for Hinata as well. Naruto's last ditched effort made it so that her blade could reach the bell allowing her to seize victory. Without Naruto neither myself or Hinata would have had a chance to pass."

"That's right." Hinata added as she too jumped in to voice her opinion. "Naruto-kun might have been reckless but when you had me pinned down I had all but given up. If not for Naruto-kun I would have still been held down and never gotten a bell."

Naruto listened with his jaw hanging half open. Did they really believe that his efforts where worth while, that he made it possible for them to win? In truth it made sense but it just seemed unusual for the blind who aside from a few individuals was not acknowledged by those around him.

Kurenai seemed to be fishing along the same lines as she asked, "Do you really believe that? Shino with your skill do you really believe you couldn't have won without Naruto?"

Shino shook his head, "It would be quiet difficult to do so." Kurenai smiled at the insight this statement declared. Unlike the other two it seemed Shino was the only one who realized she was holding back.

Kurenai quickly looked at the three. "Shino, as a ninja you carry unparalleled skills in tracking and pursuit missions. With you ninjutsu you can follow and track any target alive or not regardless of where or how far so long as you have discovered said target.

Turning to Hinata, "Hinata the Hyuuga have long wasted their eyes by focusing them on primarily on combat. While you may have been abandoned by your clan this in itself gives you great opportunity. Because you are no longer bound the notion of being of the Hyuuga Clan you can push your eyes to the limit and expand their potential beyond the limitations that the Hyuuga clan have created. As someone who can see even through walls the ability to gather intelligence and observe enemy movements and patterns is unparalleled in scouting and reconnaissance missions." Kurenai stated with escalating pride. In the back of her mind however she knew that should Hinata seek out other paths such as long range ninjutsu or medical ninjutsu her eyes could open entirely new potentials as well.

"Together the two of you have incredible potential and a bright future in squads specialized in tracking and information collecting such as this one." Kurenai said concluding her evaluation of the potential the two genin had in her eyes.

Naruto had ceased his struggles against his restraints as he too soaked up the words of praise she gave. Thinking hard he asked exactly what he could offer had he passed. Compared to the two of them, what did he have. So what if he was the son of the Fourth, he had nothing to show for it. A few paper bombs and some fuinjustu know how but what else. **"You have nothing."** his voice said in the back of his mind. Too upset at his own thoughts Naruto didn't question his own voice in his head. Naruto bit down on his lip as his hair blacked out his eyes. Hating his own weakness Naruto had to admit he didn't really have anything he could offer to the team. At least nothing he could think of.

"As for you Naruto," Kurenai started to say as she watched Naruto stiffen slightly at her words. The sight gave her pause as she wondered if perhaps the boys overwhelming confidence really was just that... overwhelming. Could it be that Naruto's confidence in his abilities be how he continues to force himself forward despite all the suffering he endures?

Shelving the thought for now Kurenai focused on telling him her evaluation of his skills. "...Naruto you are reckless and unpredictable. While acting without thinking and without your teammates is foolish it also demonstrates your value to the team."

Her words caused him and Hinata who had been worried that Kurenai was going to scold him to look up in surprise. Even Shino's facade shifted in surprise slightly for a second having not expected this.

Continuing Kurenai said, "The greatest fear of intelligence gathering is getting caught. Getting caught leads to the risk of combat and fighting is where vital information is usually lost and gained. Naruto as a member of this team your a gem without form, you are a talent that is untapped. Your ability to use shadow clones alone makes you valuable as any information your clones gather are sent straight to you upon dispersal. More importantly the number of clones you can make is unheard of for your age. Like in this test, while your chakra control was horrid, you have the potential to be more then one shinobi. You can become a squad, a platoon, or even an army if you work at it. This ability alone makes your potential as the rear guard, the last line of defense for your teammates when we get spotted invaluable. Even as a Vanguard you can force the enemy to reveal vital information for the team."

Taking a breath she let her words seep into the boy. Hopefully if her worries of his confidence where true she could relieve some of the stain. Moving over behind him she preceded to cut loose his bindings.

"But most importantly your greatest skill isn't a skill. Naruto you faced a Chunin and won, and now you faced a Jounin and in both cases where outmatched and outclassed. As a rear guard for the team you will have to face enemies that could both out power you and out match you. You have the power to swallow the fear most would feel and face such adversity head on without hesitation. That is one of your greatest strengths you've demonstrated today." Kureani stated sounding every mount of pride as her voice portrait. She couldn't help but smile at Naruto as she said this as each word seemed to cause the boy to glow slightly brighter. "It really was amazing that he can smile like this", she thought to herself.

"Naruto in terms of combat prowess and ability, you have more potential then Hinata and Shino combined. As such you have the potential to protect and support them so no matter the mission all of you can come back alive."

Naruto stood up as he listened to Kurenai. It was one thing to hear Iruka support him on his path, but hearing the reasons why she believed he could be a great ninja was something else. Naruto knew he was smiling and for once it wasn't a fake smile either. How could it be, Kurenai had just given him a new path in life to follow towards his dream, a decoy.

A decoy... he had never considered it before.

Naruto started to wonder if her words where true, could he really stand as equals to Shino and Hinata. Sure they where weird but both of them stood up for him. Maybe they where really nice and could be an awesome team.

His heart sank as he recalled that he failed the test and would be sent back to the Academy. Even as his thoughts turned dark the grin that plastered his face didn't wain as his mind started to spiral into darkness.

"Now for the results of the final test. Naruto Uzumaki, Shino Aburame, Hinata Hyuuga..."

Calling their names in succession she smiled as she said, "While it wasn't quite the result I was hoping for I believe it will be enough to pass."

Wait...PASS!? Wait you mean I passed!?" Naruto shouted in shock. Nodding Kurenai continued, "Naruto while it might not have been your intention you acted today in much the way I hopped your roll on this team would be. A distraction, a decoy who opens up opportunities for you teammates to succeed. Getting the bell wasn't the requirement to pass, it was merely a goal. Don't give me that look, I am a genjutsu specialist. I simply deceived you into thinking you had to get a bell to pass. To pass all three of you had to prove to me that you had the potential to succeed as a team. And as Team 8 acquire a bell I see no reason not to pass you three. Hehe, Imagine my surprise when your team got both of them."

"Then we pass?" Naruto asked.

Nodding Kurenai watched as Naruto started jumping up and down shouting in victory. Hinata clutched he hands to her chest as she smiled in joy at having passed along with Naruto, though Kurenai wondered which was more important to her, passing herself or Naruto passing. She figured it was the latter considering her present focus. Shino stayed perfectly still but after hearing him say more then she had ever heard his father speak in a single time guessed that like Hinata he had taken to acknowledging Naruto as well.

Clapping her hands Kurenai rested her hands on her arms. Seeing she had their attention she said "Alright Team 8 you have the rest of the day off, use it to rest up. Tomorrow your training begins."

Nodding the members of Team 8 began to leave as kurenai noticed the dangling remnants of Naruto's Jumpsuit hanging off him. "Naruto hold on a second," call out to him.

Turning around Naruto looked at her wondering what his new sensei wished to say.

"Naruto, I want you to meet with me in front of Ichiraku's in two hours. I'll be there shortly." she said before disappearing with the shunshin no jutsu.

J/N: Body Flicker Jutsu

"Wonder what that was about?" Shrugging Naruto decided to worry about it later. "Oh well, hey guys lets go out and eat ramen to celebrate.

 **-Hokage's Office-**

"So all three of them passed then?"

"Yes Hokage-sama." Kurenai answered as she reported the results of Team 8's bell test. Hiruzen was pleased to see that Naruto was able to pass but noticed Kurenai remained in his office. "Is there something else?" he asked.

Nodding Kurenai asked, "Yes there is. During the test something odd happened which I wanted to ask you about. Naruto's parents, was one of them a sensor type?"

Hiruzen looked at Kurenai with a hard look. "What makes you think that? Did Naruto show some sign of being a sensor?"

Kurenai shook her head, "I'm not sure."

Kurenai recalled how when she disappeared the first one to locate her was Naruto. "I'm not sure if it was just luck or instinct but Naruto was the first to locate me during the test. He would have needed to successfully out preform Hinata's byakugan and Shino's kikaichū to do so. In terms of speed both of them found me rather quickly. Which has me wondering when and how did Naruto know where to find me. It was strange, especially since he fell for my genjutsu without any signs of resistance."

Hiruzen put down his pipe as he understood what Kurenai was implying. "You believe that when you started the test Naruto somehow knew exactly where you where even before his teammates had the chance to use there abilities?"

Kurenai nodded unable to say yes. It was absurd to believe that Naruto possessed an ability that could find a target faster and quicker then those of the Noble Clans. Especially the Hyuuga and Aburame Clans.

"Well for starters Naruto has shown no signs of being a sensor as his file states. As for his parentage as far as we can tell neither of his parents could have been sensors." Hiruzen informed Kurenai. As he watched Kurenai walk out the Hokage was left to wonder himself about the young blond as he read Kurenai's detailed report.

Reading the report the Hokage could see the cause of his jounin's confusion. No sooner did the test start did Naruto race towards Kuenai like an unleashed kunai. However the man heralded as The Professor and the second God of Shinobi was wondering himself if there was a chance that Naruto was a sensor. At such a young age it could be possible that such a power laid dormant within the boy. However an ability that allowed him to find his target without activating or demonstrating some form of chakra use had never been heard of before. The perplexing nature of this feat seemed abnormal no matter how he looked at it.

"Well only time will tell." The aged man told himself as he once again braced himself to confront his greatest opponent which toward over his desk.

Kurenai was pleased to find Naruto chatting it up with the proprietor of Ichiraku Ramen and his daughter.

"Ah, there's my sensei. Chatter with you later old-man."

"Come again" Teuchi said as he waved goodbye to his favorite customer. Naruto rushing up towards Kurenai with a big grin on his face.

"Kurenai-sensei you wanted to talk with me?" he asked looking up at her. Nodding she gestured for him to walk with her. Understanding he was to follow Naruto took position beside her as she walked towards the market.

Looking down she asked, "Naruto during the test I noticed your clothing you wore wasn't quite up to the standards a shinobi should wear."

Seeing Naruto tense up she continued observing him carefully, "If your going to be a shinobi you'll need to fit yourself with clothing that won't tear itself apart like your jumpsuit did earlier."

Naruto looked at her confused he looked down. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY JACKET!?

He screamed as he realized the only thing left of his jacket was the sleeve and a scrap of orange holding the zipper down his front which dangled as he walked.

"How was it he didn't notice until now? Didn't he comment on it during the test? How did he forget it was torn up?" Kurenai asked herself.

"Oh man what the hell am I gonna wear now?" Naruto asked himself as Kurenai stopped for a moment as she felt like slapping herself.

"Naruto, is the reason your always wearing the orange jumpsuit because... you don't have anything else to wear?" Kurenai asked a little hesitant to know the answer.

Laughing Naruto replied, "N-no way, It's just that it was my favorite and I like the color orange." Naruto did have plenty of other clothing, what he currently wore was by far the most comfortable and durable he possessed.

While Naruto was telling the truth Kurenai knew a white lie when she heard one. "Naruto I won't be upset but tell me the truth. I know your not telling me everything."

Looking away Naruto kept his smile on but didn't answer. She watched as the boy walked through the Market at a quickening pace. She could tell that he was anxious about something so didn't bother to push the subject herself any further. Looking around she wondered what could cause the boy to be so worried within the village.

As they walked Kurenai couldn't figure it out what was upsetting her student so much. Having made it to the market she noticed that Naruto's pace was now just short of a brisk jog. Grabbing his shoulder for a moment she saw a shadow of fear reflected in his eye as he looked at her.

Knowing something was wrong Kurenai made a suggestion. "Why don't we talk somewhere more comfortable for you, I'll follow."

Thanking her mentally Naruto nodded as he headed towards the Hokage Monument.

Sitting on the the fourths head Naruto clutched his legs as he gazed over the village with his smile.

"You do know technically your not suppose to be up here right." Kurenai teased, sitting beside him.

"I just feel better when I sit here. It makes everything seem so small." Naruto retorted knowing full well that the monument was technically off limits for everyone and he shouldn't be sitting there. Still it helped im calm down a bit though it didn't help that he knew Kurenai knew something was up. He was glad she wanted to help but didn't want to say anything regarding his troubles. Sure she was nice but he didn't know if she would cause more problems are be drawn into his own. Knowing she wanted answers he realized there was one topic he could use to avoid talking about his place in society.

"Kurenai-sensei? When does a lie stop being a lie?"

"Naruto?"

Ignoreing her confusion he changed his question as he looked at her, "You know about me, about 'it', right sensei." His question was more of a statement as he looked out at the village.

"Yes I do." Kurenai answered simply letting him set the pace.

Nodding he continued. "I wasn't lying to you. I do have other things to wear. It's just they weren't as good as my jacket."

Kurenai looked at him slightly shocked. His jumpsuit was barely considerable decent, not even quality goods and it was the best thing he had? "Naruto why don't you just purchase something new, surely you have some money that you can spend on cloths. Now that your a genin you'll also need something sturdy for when you go on missions."

"I do, but the village won't sell anything to the demon and those that will raise the prices so I can't afford to buy from them." Naruto explained. Naruto mind fumbled a bit; Why was he telling her this? He only intended to lead her away from the topic not headlong into it.

While Naruto's mind struggled to figure out why it admitted the truth to his sensei, Kurenai was dumbfounded at the admittance Naruto presented to her. "If that is the case why haven't you told anyone else. Surely you were able to buy that jumpsuit..." she started asking but stopped as he shook his head.

Looking down at the remains of his jacket he showed the first expression of sadness she had seen on the boy. "I got this as a birthday present form Mikon. She sent it to me three years ago for my birthday."

"Then why haven't you informed someone of this. Surely you understand that what those merchants are doing is wrong." Kurenai asked trying to hold off her anger while hoping to gain some insight into the boy's situation. A situation which seemed to be much darker then she had first suspected.

"If I told Jiji it would only make more trouble for him. Besides I've managed just fine on my own so far so its alright." Naruto declared with his usual grin. "I'll figure something out." Something about his sensei was just natural to him. While he couldn't figure it out Naruto felt relieved to explain some of his troubles to another person.

Kurenai wasn't sure which she was amazed at more, the boy's optimism or the village's cruelty. Slowly she was starting to piece together the boys life little by little, and the outline his life was presenting was growing grimmer by the minute.

"I see."

Standing up she looked back down at the smiling boy. "Thank you for giving me your time. Make sure you head home and get some sleep. You'll need it for tomorrow."

Turning around Naruto asked, "Wait Sensei, what was it you originally wanted to talk with me about?"

Pausing she smiled as she replied, "We'll talk about it later. See you tomorrow, eight sharp okay." With a a shunshin she disappeared from his sight. Racing her way back to the market Kurenai contemplated what she had just learned. Originally she had intended to go with Naruto to educate him on what goods where suitable for a shinobi and to get him some clothing that would hold up during missions. Seeing as how shopping was out of the question for the blond, Kurenai felt the need to know more before pushing forward.

While Naruto was forth coming and open, she felt that he only revealed what was on the surface. The true problem was the Kyuubi. As she thought this she wondered if the fox was the only thing that was bothering him.

 **-Hyuuga Mansion-**

Kneeling before her farther Hinata shifted nervously under his gaze. After telling him what happened and that she passed his usual critical gaze wasn't present today. This only unnerved Hinata even more then if he was glaring at her as he usually done.

"F-father?" she stuttered out stiffening as his gaze clamped down on her.

Standing up himself she watched her father make to leave the room. Opening the door he turned around and glared at her with his piercing white eyes, "Don't disgrace the Hyuuga."

Saying no more he left not sparing her a second glance. Hinata stared at the floor fighting the tears she felt behind her eyes. Heading to bed the only thing that kept her together was the fact she passed with Naruto and from then on would be teammates with him.

 **-Aburame Residence-**

Shino stood in his room as he performed his daily routine of feeding the insects he caught. Looking at one particular stag beetle Shino thought in silence about the newest mystery he had encountered.

During his school days Naruto wasn't anything impressive and from what he saw today he wondered just when did his classmate get the strength to do what he demonstrated. Before he had written him off as a troublemaker who made pranks in silence to cause trouble for the adults around him.

Naruto's display of ability however left him wondering just how much he really knew about the blond problem child. Resolving to observe his new teammate more closely he continued caring for his insect collection.

 **-Hokage Monument-**

Naruto laid on the hard stone surround by scrap parchment and ink. He hated when his hands cramped up preventing him from practicing. Looking at what once looked like scribbles to him now made perfect sense. What he once felt was boring and tedious now held the same motivating grip that physical training held. "Dad... I really came a long way."

Raising his hand into the air he grasped an unseen objective in it. He was becoming stronger, if only a little, he was growing stronger. As the ache in his hand became more pronounced Naruto relaxed and laid back on his fathers head. Shifting his head he looked below him. "I still hate you..."

Letting the words escape form him he basked in the sensation of the setting sun and the feeling of his hatred leaving him on the wind. "But one day I'm gonna catch up to you and surpass you. Then... one day... I'll understand why you and mom abandoned me."

Closing his eyes he allowed the gentle embrace of the night air to caress his tired body.

" **Foolish human, your parent's sacrificed themselves to imprison me.** "

Shooting up Naruto was taken aback when he found himself lying in a familiar flooded building. "This is... that place in my dream... back when I was in the hospital."

" **Well isn't this a surprise. My human overlord graces me with his presence. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit** "

Turning around Naruto was greeted with the smirking face of the Nine Tailed Fox as it growled in a low hum from beyond his cage. Naruto sat there trembling slightly. "Y-yo...you can talk?

With a sneer the fox laughed, " **Yes, I can talk. And it seems the human is capable of of understanding speech as well. You foolish humans, always reacting to insignificant matters.** "

"S-sh-shut up... I-I just didn't expect it that you could talk." Naruto retorted raising to his feet.

" **Then prey, do tell me what you** _ **where**_ **expecting?** "

Naruto wondered for a minute, "what _was_ he expecting?" Looking back at the Kyuubi he realized he hardly knew anything about the fox aside from what the history books said, which in all honesty wasn't much since he couldn't access them like everyone else.

"Well I as kinda expecting to still be lying on the Fourth's head." he answered.

Naruto watched as the fox looked down on him before snickering once more which sounded more mockingly arrogant then before. " **So the dumb human is as dumb as is to be expected.** "

"Hey! Just because I don't know stuff doesn't mean I'm dumb!" Naruto shouted slightly ticked off at being called dumb.

" **Well at least your expectation is correct.** " The fox informed as it laid its large head back down on its front paws.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked surprised by the foxes gentler tone which still radiated malice.

Looking up the fox gave off a look of boredom before answering. " **We're inside the seal. Think of this as a mindscape, a dream if you will. All of this is a mental image visually produce for you by the seal. Your body is still laying down on that accursed man's stone head so you're not entirely wrong in you expectations. Do you understand?** "

Naruto nodded as he was able to follow most of what the fox said. " **Good, now tell my why your here.** " the fox demanded.

Shrugging Naruto replied, "To be honest I don't even know how I got here. Though I'm kind glad I am."

Growling the fox shouted, " **Are you mocking me!** "

Falling onto his ass Naruto watched terrified as the fox's massive paw struck the cage rattling the massive structure. "I'm not mocking you I swear." Naruto cried out. Thinking for a second Naruto realized just what he was doing. "Wow this is really weird I'm talking with whats considered to be a natural disaster.

" **If there's nothing you want from me then begone human.** " the fox stated angrily.

"Hey! I have a name you know. It's Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo! And I would leave if I knew how to! It's not like a came in here to be mocked by you, dettabayo!"

The Kyuubi looked up in interest at what the boy said. Bracing himself for whatever the fox might do Naruto held his ground not knowing what it was about to do.

" **You don't consider yourself a Namikaze? Well at least that makes you somewhat tolerable.** " the Kyuubi said more to himself then Naruto. Naruto couldn't tell if it was pleased or intrigued. "Why? Do you hate the name Namikaze?" Naruto asked in curiosity.

" **Hmph, You'd hate the name of the one who cursed you to an existence as a prisoner within a child. Me the most powerful of the tailed breasts, am now forced to live my final years within a damn child.** "

"Final? I thought you were an immortal fox with monstrous power that could blast away mountains and stuff." Naruto asked.

" **BE SILENT! If not for this cage I'd devour you whole without a second thought." the Kyuubi said lashing out. "If not for your father or that cursed clan I wouldn't be here! You think you can just take my power and make it your own, fine! The moment I get the chance I'll kill you all!** "

"I don't even want your power!" Naruto shouted back. This damn fox was blaming him for everything. As Naruto listened all he could recall were the years of torment and suffering he felt and right now the cause was yelling at him and cursing him out.

"All this time everyone hated and ignored me because you where inside me. I NEVER WANTED YOU. You killed my parents and attacked the village. What have I ever done to you, you damn furball!"

Huffing out of breath Naruto stared at the Kyuubi as it glared at him in return. Growling in rage the Kyuubi counter, " **What have you done? For 12 years you where my prison.** "

"Against my will." Naruto interjected. "Why hate me when I never desired you power nor imprisoned you for your power. That was my dad who did it because _you_ were attacking the village! It was your power that hurt Ino my closest friend! Your power that haunts me every day! Haunts the village every day! I never wanted your power in the first place! You want out of me? FINE! I'll learn how to release you kick your ass!"

Out of breath and panting hard Naruto noticed that at some point he had started pointing his finger at the Kyuubi. After releasing all his pent up aggression by yelling at the monster that had haunted him for years Naruto could now see a little more clearly as he looked at the tailed beast.

" **Even if you did I'd simply disappear.** " the fox replied.

"Huh?" Naruto breathed out in confusion.

Irritation growing in its voice again, the Kyuubi explained, " **Your precious Fourth Hokage messed up during the sealing process. Using the Fuinjutsu: Shiki Fūjin your father divided my chakra and attempted to seal half of me within you. I killed your parents in anger. I couldn't stand to be sealed inside such a weak and pathetic creature like you. It was bad enough being sealed inside a human let alone a crying brat. However instead of sealing half of me your father failed and sealed my spirit inside you.** "

J/N: Sealing Jutsu: Reaper Death Seal

"Your spirit?" Naruto asked in confusion.

" **My spirit, mind, consciousness, call it whatever you want. The point is the Fourth didn't seal away my core. Without the core, my vessel, my body, I would fade out of existence in a matter of minutes after leaving this damned cage.** " The Kyuubi stated slightly irritated at explaining something so simple.

Cocking his head to his side, Naruto pondered and reiterated what was said. "So my dad sealed away you mind inside me but not your 'core'. Okay... then what happened to you body?"

" **My body is formed out of pure chakra and that was sealed away elsewhere, I have no idea where but my guess would be inside the stomach of the death god or your father. From what I know about that jutsu those two outcomes would be the likely result. You father did succeed at first when splitting me in half he sealed away me within himself. It was after I pierced him through that the ritual was interrupted and he messed up.** " the fox answered.

"So without your core you can't form your body right?" Naruto asked.

The Kyuubi snorted a laugh out as it said mocking, " **Not the most observant human are you.** "

"What was that!?" Naruto shouted back.

Ignoring his outcry the Kyuubi continued, " **If you where looking you'd see that I have my physical form and my chakra back. My core is essentially what makes me the Kyuubi. It's what keeps me my form together, whole. Without it I would be no different from regular chakra. Right now the seal is whats keeping me whole. If I left the seal right now my chakra would scatter to the winds and break down into nothing. While it could take my shape it would be able to hold together for very long. So without a body, my mind would eventually follow as well. For use Biju the closest thing to death up till now was to lose our memories. Now though for the first time a Biju is at risk of vanishing off the face of the planet never to reform. All thanks to your farther.** "

Thinking for a moment the Kyuubi starting laughing bitterly, "HA! In a way your damn Hokage didn't fail. That damn human will end up being the first human to have successfully killed a Biju."

Naruto sat down listening to the fox's explanation. While he blamed the fox for his hardships he never liked the idea of killing someone. Whats more something felt off about all this. Like something was missing. Looking up Naruto felt a compulsion to ask a certain question. "Why did you attack the village?"

The fox looked down in anger but kept his tone mellow as he asked, " **Why ask such a pointless question?** "

Thinking carefully Naruto answered, "Well, it just seems odd. You seem to hate humans yet historically speaking as far as I know you rarely appear. If you really meant to hurt humans then wouldn't you have attacked more often? I mean you hate humans but it doesn't seem like you cared enough about us to bother killing us you know?"

The Kyuubi remained silent as he watched the boy carefully. " **Interesting...** " the fox said to itself. " **Tell me human,** "

"Naruto!" the boy said interrupting.

" **Naruto..**." the fox said clearly irritated, " **What would you do if you had access to my power?** "

"What do you mean..." Naruto started asking before he was cut down by the fox. " **Just shut up and answer!** "

Naruto thought for a moment sitting down. Seconds turned to minutes as Naruto sat there in thought.

" **Well?** " the fox asked annoyed at having to wait.

"Honestly I don't know. Personally I wouldn't use it but at the same time I know I can be reckless and impulsive so I might use it without meaning too. To be fair its not my chakra so I don't think I should be allowed to use it." Naruto said answering the large fox.

For the first time, Naruto thought he saw the fox grin with a smile. Watching the fox turn away from him he started to get up to stop it but found himself back up on the Hokage Monument.

" **We'll talk again...** "

Looking over the village Naruto heard the foxes final words as its presence vanished from his mind. No longer able to feel hits presence Naruto quickly got up and rushed to the Hokage.

There where several things he wanted to ask and something he wanted to know. Not just about his father or the fox, but also about the seal that bound him to it.

Rushing through the village his mind raced as he collected the thoughts within his head. The Kyuubi was an intelligent creature. Not only did it possess hatred but he was sure it possessed sorrow and frustration. However it was a living construct of chakra... how was that possible? And to top it off the Kyuubi within him was just the mind of the fox, the body present something it regained after the sealing process.

"How long did it take to regain its body? How did it regain it? What happened to the Kyuubi's original chakra, its original body? What went wrong with the jutsu that sealed it? Why did the fox appear in the village? Did it really just appear out of thin air?" Naruto asked himself as he ran. Realizing he was running at a full on sprint. He wondered why he was in such a hurry. Sure learning such facts that seemed impossible based on what he had been told was important but something inside him felt more desperate.

It wasn't like he hadn't been lied to before so the information shouldn't have been all that earth-shattering of a revaluation. There was also no proof the fox was telling the truth either. Knowing that if he was going to figure out anything he had to ask someone he could trust. With Jiraiya out of the village the only person with the knowledge he need was the old man Hokage.

Knocking on the door Naruto waited for the old man to welcome him in.

Hearing the knock Hiruzen called out for Naruto to enter. Walking in Hiruzen was surprised to see Naruto so late. "Naruto, what brings you here. If I'm not mistaken you should be reading yourself for tomorrow."

Naruto nodded as he smiled half-heartedly. Normally just seeing the old man would make his have a warm fuzzy feeling that was welcoming and safe. That feeling tonight was overshadowed by the questions and confusion his conversation with the fox brought about.

A state of confusion which Hiruzen noticed on Naruto's face, "Is something the matter?"

Nodding Naruto looked up and asked, "Jiji... can you tell me about the night when the Kyuubi attacked?"

The Hokage was taken aback by the question though in hindsight he should have been. Thinking about it he realized that it wasn't all that surprising the boy wished to learn more about his birth and what happened that night.

Getting up he signaled for the ANBU guarding him to leave and insure no one eavesdropped on their conversation. "Come with me." the aged man said guiding Naruto through the Mansion.

Naruto did as he was told following in silence. The Hokage led him to a room that looked like it was a cross between a dojo and a meeting hall. The room was draped with violet sheets and was empty with the exception of a large desk which had a yellow tarp with the leaf symbol hanging off it. A large Crystal Orb sat on the desk supported by a purple cushion that was the same color as the couch the sat behind the desk.

Sitting down on the couch himself Hiruzen gestured for Naruto to join him. Sitting down he was surprised at how uncomfortable it was compared to how it looked.

"Now then," Hiruzen began, "What do you want to know about that night?"

Naruto thought carefully as he knew while he trusted the old man knew he was the Hokage as well. "Well um... Jiji." Naruto started nervously not sure what to say exactly. "Can everything be kept a secret between us?" Naruto asked earning a raised eyebrow form the old man.

Smiling the Hokage nodded, "Of course, everything between us will be kept as such unless you say otherwise."

Relaxing a bit Naruto took a deep breath before starting. "Jiji, What happened that night? How did the Kyuubi attack?"

Hiruzen wasn't sure what to make of the question so answered as best he could. "Well it was a calm and clear night. The village was prosperous and shining brilliantly and everyone was happy. The Village had just survived and made it through another Great War and everything was fine. However suddenly the air became still and stifling. There was no sign of anything bad approaching the village but for those of us who survived the war we could feel that something was wrong." Hiruzen said telling it like one of the stories he would read to his own grandson.

"It was then that the Kyuubi appeared rising from within the village. It's tails leveled the landscape, its claws ripped apart everything in its path. When it roared the monstrous beast's cry would create a shockwave that left a trail of destruction along its path." Hiruzen proclaimed.

"So wait? It just appeared... like out of nowhere?" Naruto quickly asked interrupting.

Hiruzen looked at the boy questioningly. "Yes it did." he confirmed.

Naruto eyes lit up as he asked excitedly, "How did it appear. Did it like fade into existence of poof like it was summoned?"

Hiruzen realized that Naruto wasn't interested in the night but the Kyuubi itself. For what reason was the boy interested in how it appeared. Trying to figure this out the Hokage side of him was recalling the night itself as he remembered reading the reports. A shocking truth he hadn't considered popped into his head, The Fox was summoned.

Thinking back to those reports all those who witnessed the appearance had described the fox appearing within a white cloud similar to that associated with the summoning jutsu. Staring at Naruto he asked himself and the boy, "Why are you interested in how it appeared. Whats really going on Naruto?"

Naruto shuffled a little in his seat. As the old mans gaze turned more inquisitive and stern Naruto's composure also started to fracture. "I-I.. nothing really... I just had a dream... and well I became curious." Naruto explained.

Hiruzen didn't buy it. "Naruto I've raised you when your parents sacrificed themselves for you and the village. I watched you grow up, struggle, suffer, and become a genin that your parents would be proud of. So please, tell me what the real reason is."

Naruto nodding explained for an hour everything that had happened within the seal. Naruto told Hiruzen about meeting the Kyuubi, that it was intelligent and all the questions he was starting to have about the attack on the Village.

Hiruzen was stunned but listened intently. While internally he was quickly to write off the Kyuubi's words as the sweet promises of a demon seeking freedom as he listened began looking into the attack more carefully.

Comparing the reports and documents he could remember as well as his own partaking in the attack began to form his own questions. At the time the Hokage didn't make much thought about it. Now, many years later, he was able to look at the event from a broader perspective.

Everything Naruto said while couldn't be stated to be true did bring to question the events and how they happened during that night. The autopsy reports of his wife, Minato's decision to seal the Kyuubi into his child, the foxes sudden appearance described within the reports. However the aspect of that night which made him believe there was something more to the event of that night was in regards to his own battle with the Fox.

During the fight Hiruzen recalled the foxes actions and could feel it's malice. The fox's malicious charkra had flooded over the entire village but in the middle of the fight its focus seemed to change for no reason at what so ever. Hiruzen didn't think about it much since normally if threatened it would make sense the beast would change its focus from the village to the shinobi attacking it. However, the more Hiruzen thought about it the more it felt strange... as if the motive behind the beasts actions changed like a switch had be flipped.

"As if it someone lost control over it..." Hiruzen muttered.

"Jiji?" Naruto asked concerned by the Hokage's sudden silence and worried features.

Hiruzen thoughts suddenly started picking up speed. Could it have been possible that someone attacked during Naruto's birth? How would they know about the time period when the seal was weakest? How did they know when to strike and how? Could they have taken control of the Kyuubi and attacked the village with it? No that was impossible, the only people to ever have taken control of the fox had been the First and Madara Uchiha. Both of them where dead so it couldn't be possible... unless.. was it possible someone else could tame the Kyuubi?

If that was true it would make sense then why Minato sealed it within his son. Minato always thought ahead, never acting without reason. Did Minato seal the fox in his son to prevent it being taken by someone else? As a fuinjutsu master he could have sealed it away temporarily then sealed it away within a more practical vessel. Instead he chose his son. Sealing it away using the complex method that he used would ensure the boys protection and make it possible for Naruto to wield the fox's chakra and use it later. The end result, preventing an unknown enemy from acquiring the fox and ensuring Naruto's protection.

It was just a theory but it made sense. Standing up suddenly he walked out of the room gesturing for Naruto to stay where he was. Walking outside he shouted out, "Yuago!"

The ANBU appeared out of nowhere as he gestured for her to follow him. "Gather all available ANBU loyal to me. Have them recover all records and reports connected and linked to that night twelve years ago."

"Regarding the Kyuubi's attack sir?" the ANBU asked.

Nodding Hiruzen continued, "Yes, and everything related to it, damage reports, autopsies, medical records, eye witness accounts, everything related to that night." pausing he turned and said in a much colder voice, "as well as those unofficial records regarding the event in particular. Bring them here." He said re-entering the room he had talked with Naruto.

Nodding to leave Hiruzen gestured for her to wait before saying quickly, "And bring the Scroll of Sealing as soon as possible."

Nodding again the ANBU with the cat mask vanished leaving Hiruzen to sit back down next to Naruto.

Looking at the boys confusion he smiled with a look still grim at the possible revelation. "Naruto, by chance did you plan on asking me if you could see the fūinjutsu that was used to seal the fox?"

Naruto nodded, "Yeah I was going to ask you if I could look at the Fūinjutsu: Shiki Fūjin... if it was possible."

"So he even knows the name of the jutsu," Hiruzen thought to himself. "The fact that you know the name of the that forbidden jutsu only adds credence to the implications that the Kyuubi's words imply."

Naruto tilted his head in confusion. What did that mean? Naruto wondered quietly to himself what Hiruzen meant by his words. Why did knowing about the Shiki Fūjin's name make anything the Kyuubi say any more truthful or acceptable. While Naruto wondered this he felt a strong temptation to ask the Hokage why but stopped as he realized what the aged Hokage had said, "Forbidden". Why was Hiruzen okay with showing a Forbidden jutsu to him? Sensing the sound of shifting robes Naruto pulled his attention to the empty room.

Looking up Hiruzen reached for his pipe realizing he left it in his office. Regretting having left it behind he sighed as fifteen ANBU appeared hold boxes and scrolls filled with documentation in regards to that night twelve years ago. Seeing the Scroll of Sealing as well he grinned grimly.

"In that case, why don't we see what we can figure out in regards to that night, together." Hiruzen said.

Naruto nodded excited at finally getting answers to the questions he had. Looking up Hiruzen watched as the ANBU proceeded to retrive more documents before telling one of them, "Grab my pipe will you."

Watching the ANBU disappear he thought to himself, "This is gonna be a long night."

 **-Naruto's Mindscape-**

The Kyuubi laid in silence withing the damp prison as it reflected on the first official meeting with its Jailor. Silently it cursed as it recalled its fate as a tool for humans. If not for the hopeless situation withing the seal it could have found a means to escape but without a body to materialize itself in would simply perish. Once a powerful force a nature it was now stuck keeping it's prisoner alive just so it could prolong it's own life.

As the mighty chakra beast mulled over its new found fate and its impending death within its host the sounds of footsteps echoed through t gloomy and dank halls. Glancing through the cage the Kyuubi watched as the humanoid figure stepped partially out of the shadows. The child like entity laughed mockingly as black and reddish eyes gazed at the imprisoned fox.

"HheHeE, SoO YOu tOld HiM a LitTle hInt dID yOu. WhAt aRE yoU HoPeINg tO CHaNge By tELlinG hIM The tRUtH of THAT nIgHt. ThE gREaT MoNSteR fOx wANtS to sAvE thE HUmAn HehEHe iS thAT iT?"

Snorting the Kyuubi turned its head away having satisfied it curiosity as to who was approaching. " **Begone human I'm not interested in dealing with you.** "

The child laughed humorously. "Oh cOmE nOW, wE bOTh knOw YoU wOUld hAve lOVeD aNd rAIseD mE WeLL iF It SeRvEd yoU iN EsCaPIng yoUR vIlE pRiSoN cElL. WEll iT doEsN't mATteR If YOu dO oR dOn'T sInCe thIs VilLagE is LiKe a PeTRi diSH fOr mY beINg. WeLl I gUeSs tHis iS thE eNd oF tHe grEAt KyUubi, foReVeR doOmED to HavE alL yOur hAte diE wiThIN tHe bOdy oF a sMAll bOY. HEHehE." While it's words where kind and expressed its appreciation it's voice dripping with vile hatred towards the fox.

" **Keep buzzing insect, since you can't serve my purpose I have no interest in you. I will not be used by this brat or the likes of you. Without my chakra you have no strength and so long as I can punish That bastard who d** **oomed me to this prison I don't mind vanishing.** "

It's laugh echoed sickeningly through the hall. Each note from its joy seemed to stick and fester against the walls of the room as it looked squarely at the demon fox. "I hAve nO nEeD oF YoU. If i wAnt YouR pOWeR I'Ll sImPLy tAkE iT. BUt aS i sAId I dOn'T neEd iT. NaRUtO wILl bEcoME sTroNg oN hIs oWn. ANd aS hE grOwS StrOnGeR sO Do I. AnGeR wIlL brEak tHe sEaL bUt hAte wILl gIvE mE cOnTrOl. So LoNg aS yOuR hErE, hIs fEaR, hIs DOuBt, hIs hAtE wIlL rEmAiN aNd I wIlL gRoW."

"It'S fUnNY," the child continued it's voice wavering between playful and sweet. "HaTe iS LiKe A FirE, It NeeDS FuEl. HAte HaS nO rEal VaLuE uNleSs yOu HavE LoVe aNd HopE To kEEp iT bUrNiNg. ThAt faKe wiLl feAr loOSinG tHoSe hE chArIsheS aNd wilL cOmE tO hAte hiMselF iF nOt yOU, sHouLd tHeY cOmE to SuFfeR. ThaT uNknOwN, tHaT fEAr ShOuLD tHey LeArn wHaT hE reAlLy iS, WiLl GiVe mE A~LL tHe frEedoM aNd PoWeR I WiLl EvEr NeEd."

The child unleashed a sickening grin which reflected on the watery surface of the floor. The crescent shaped smile mimicked its sudden advancement forward. Marching slowly with gleeful steps the child made its way towards the fox, pulling the darkness with it. The Kyuubi's fur crawl as it approached, not a sound echoed from the child. As the shadows encroached the room a deep malice came with it filling the room. The dim room became pitch black as all light seemed to vanish in the presence of the child leaving only the eyes of both parties and the child's twisted smile visible.

"YoU'vE loSt yoUr toUcH KyuUBi. YoU mAy bE cAllEd tHe eMbOdimEnt oF hAtRed bUt yoU're nOthIng bUt a fUrbAll of cHaKra. NoT EvEn WoRthy oF beInG a MoRseL to Me. YoU'rE liKe a mIrRor thAt reFleCtS thE feAr anD AnGer oF tHoSe wHo huNteD yoU dOwn. SuRe yOu hAVe HaTreD bUt iT iS sUch a PaThetiCalLy wEak haTreD. NoW wiThiN ThaT cAGe yOur tRue NaTuRe iS reVeAled. ReMeMbeR thIs wEll, TRue HaTe iS aN aCtiVe foRce aNd siNcE yOu hAvE No MoTivAtiOn tO aCt... hEHehE... I'lL bE doInG tHe aCtIng. ReMEmBeR tHat wEll, KuRaMA."

The Kyuubi stood up, its movements shifted the water violently as it clashed against the cage. The gate which represented the seal rattled violently as the the fox's massive claws threatened to smash through it. " **How!?...** " The fox roared. Even inches away from it's face the child had not a trace of hesitation, fear, or doubt as it stood there smiling malevolently with a mix of pleasure and playfulness. Childish laughter which shifted to a maturer tone akin to that of a young teen-aged boy responded mockingly to the Kyuubi.

"ThAt'S eAsY, hAtreD bReeDs hAtReD bUt iT aLso LiNkS uS tOgeTheR aNd wIthiN tHe mINndScApE I CaN SeE eVerYThinG. HeHEhE, rEaLly nOW, evEr sInCe NaRuto acQuiRed HuRt ThoSE FrIenDS oF HiS, I hAvE beCoMe sO muCh moRe poWerful, s~O cOmPleTe, mOre So tHen I eVer wOUld hAVe bEcoME haD I oNLy YoU to RelY on. IT's aNnoYinG hoW paTheTicAllY oPtiMisTiC tHat fAkE is DesPite evErytHIng, bUt thAnkS to ThAt I CAn cONtinUE to GrOw. AnYwaY I'vE anNoYed yoU enOugh todAy, wE'Ll talK AgAin- KyUUbi."

As the child left it made no motion a hint of movement, only its smile and eyes fading into the dark. Upon the removal of the child's presence the dense sensation of malice that had suffocated the hall was alleviated. The darkness that had swallowed the room slowly receded, slithering backing into the distant hallway, returning the the sickly yellowish glow to the secluded chamber.

With the child gone the Kyuubi laid back down within the seal. As it lay there in silence a chill that had been present since before the child's departure presented itself to the fox as it crawled up the fox's spine. While it would never admit to being afraid, and while it's pride would never acknowledge them, even the Kyuubi knew to fear the potential of humans and the evil lurking in their hearts.

* * *

 **SUPRISE! THATS RIGHT so many revelations in this chapter. Originally this was suppose to be a slow-transition chapter without any real plot droppers. Just the bell test and some development between the Fox and Naruto. B~ut the natural flow of events just came out and Bang there it is.**

 **And YES, It is true, I'm bringing Inner Naruto into the mix way before Shippuden, why? One word, Trauma. The one thing that bugged me throughout the entire series of Naruto. The fact that despite how much Naruto went through he was still completely whole. Hell its the reason why Gaara is my Favorite character, I mean that trauma was pretty cut and paste to see. Not only does it make it more interesting but the discord between Naruto and his past makes more sense if you think about how all his pain is pretty much bunch up inside. Plus I never really seen a Fanfic where people explore the darker aspect of Naruto's personality, his pain, without making him a full blond kill everyone character.**

 **As someone who's struggled and has had his identity rejected by both peers, society, and teachers alike, I know how much that can scare a person and change them. Humans are tough but not all that durable. Fun fact I was designated (called/identified) as the Bubonic Plague as a kid in elementary school. Yup I wasn't even seen as human, ahh good times. (Yes there is something wrong with me, don't judge)**

 **Now two things are different here (Naruto's actions, Doubts) from Canon and why I'm bringing "it" into the story is due to the fact that A) Naruto has had far more bonds then compared to Canon. Jiraiya was there for him, and he had both Ino and Mikon for support. This is important as when you have something you cherish it makes it all the more painful when you loose it.**

 **But WhiteDevilMGN, Jiraiya pretty much showed up and left, how is that him being there for him?**

 **Simple, there is a big difference between having no one and knowing there is someone who cares for you. I would not be alive most likely if that wasn't the case during my childhood. The thought that someone loves you and cares can make a world of difference to a person.**

 **The second reason, B) I'm making Naruto more realistically aware. If you think it's not realistic oh well, I only have my own experiences to draw from since I can only guess/image how others view the world.**

 **Because Naruto has seen what it's like to have friends he now understands the pain of loosing them and the greater pain of hurting them. Two things that have a tendency to haunt people in life.**

 **Anyway, off that depressing road and onto the other revaluations. Why I want to talk about all this, I don't know, I blame my Coka-Cola / Pepsi / Dr. Thunder Caffeine high right now. Yes I drink a lot and still healthier then most my classmates, Alcohol free for life, that's right I drink carbonated products + water only. Where was I, Oh yes, Revelations.**

 **THE KYUUBI IS still a jerk. Or to be more precise is now an unmotivated jerk. I will probably (if memory serves me) go into more details during the next chapter or this one which you just read, last read this chapter fifteen days ago and forgot it's contents. But anyway the Kyuubi isn't trying to break the seal. And yes the Kyuubi is now formless it has its chakra shape but thats only because of the seal itself. Should the seal break... Its dead, Dun dun DAAAAA... (how do you write dramatic sound tracks?) Any case due to technically difficulties, spoilers, and plot reveals in regards to the seal the Kyuubi isn't in any hurry to be breaking out How will this effect the story and Naruto? I got lots a ideas. But yeah, same old grouchy malicious Kyu except now how fluffy fox isn't going to be break the seal up or at least weakening it intentionally.**

 **On top of that Naruto will be having first hand experience seeing the original formula for the Reaper Death Seal. Why did I do this, Four reasons the main one Naruto's no longer an idiot. Reckless yes but not an idiot. Plus with Naruto learning Fuinjutsu he's more knowledgeable about the subject. Two reasons as to why Hiruzen isn't worried about showing him the seal jutsu formula. How will this effect Naruto? Even I don't know completely haven't written that far for glorious details to be spoiled.**

 **Back to my Caffeine high, And finally the Hokage is coming to a realization that the attack on the village was planned by someone. How no one in the original Canon notice the** **sharingan** **eye on the kyuubi's eye when it attack is beyond me, that eye is like one 15 teen year old Naruto long and not a single trained shinobi could pick up on that eye.**

 **Anyway Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Next time Mikon Returns and hopefully I don't change it like this one from it's present relaxing pace.**

 **-White +best**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8** **:: Team 8**

"He's late" Shino muttered from behind his coat irritated at having waited an hour for the blond to arrive.

"I-I'm sure he has a reason for being late." Hinata chimed in. Internally she was anxious having not slept much the previous night. Thought revolving a her father and the anticipation of being with Naruto had been too much for the young Hyuuga to bear.

Kurenai stood with them growing slightly more irritated as time passed. In hindsight she should have suspected that some of the traits written in Naruto's record to hold true. Not showing up when he was suppose to apparently being the first to be demonstrated as true. She expected the young blond to be a handful but she wasn't going to sit back and let it effect the growth of his teammates.

Just as she was about to give up on his arrival and begin their training Naruto shot out of the trees rushing towards them.

"Sorry I'm late. We lost track of time!" He shouted. Kurenai gave him a quick look and calmed a bit seeing as he clearly rushed her to make it on time. Still it did little to change the fact he didn't show up on time.

"Naruto, your no longer a child. You are a ninja now, a genin. Being late is not going to work nor be allowed so long as your on this team." Kurenai reprimanded as her eyes glazed over him threateningly.

Naruto was still wearing the same orange leggings and black undershirt that he wore the previous day. She also noticed the slight bags under his eyes from lack of sleep. His eyes where clearly red and so puffy you could probably use them as a pillow. Wondering if he got any sleep at all Kurenai pushed it aside instead deciding that he would endure the natural consequence of not planning ahead properly.

"Well, now that your here we can begin properly." Kurenai said as she began explaining the physical test she had prepared to test their physical limits. As she spoke she wondered if the boy slept at all last night or even bothered to change his cloths. Thinking back to what he told her she wondered if he actually had a change of cloths to work with.

"Alright, Now that you're here we'll start off with quick sparing matches." Kurenai stated, "With that said I want all of you to stretch quickly before I have you fight each other."

After a set of quick stretches, Shino was set against Naruto as the first match. Taking positions ten meters apart the two readied themselves to square off. At Kurenai's signal she along with Hinata watched the two fight.

Naruto sticking to the pattern he had demonstrated the day before, started by charging the insect user who anticipated such an act dodged to the left. Putting on the brakes, Naruto stopped his charge exactly at the spot Shino stood previously before launching himself into the air. Pushing off the ground with his right foot Naruto spun around in the air like a top bringing down his foot straight down onto the Aburame. Shino responded quickly, blocking with his forearms but clearly out of reflex having not expected Naruto to suddenly change directions without even turning to do so.

Pushing off Shino's forearms, Naruto brought himself back down to earth. Landing, Naruto thrust his leg still held aloft by Shino to the side spinning around to break his stance and guard. Swinging around he bore the full force of his backhand to Shino skull only to have it blocked as well. Shino blocked the heavy blow bending under the force of the hit but keeping his stance solid. Swinging his arm which he used to guard, Shino forced Naruto backwards and leaving his unbalanced. See a opening Shino threw a right hook towards the blonds spine as he recovered his stance with his back to Shino.

Shino's punch landing with a back breaking thud, causing Naruto to tumble away. Stumbling to his feet Naruto had to brace himself and wait a second before he regained his footing, still teetering from the blow. Naruto bent backwards as he spotted Shino charging him and dodged Shino's second fist. Shino dist passed harmlessly creating a gentle breeze across Naruto's cheek. Rolling along the ground after dodging gracelessly Naruto stood in a low split like stance as he tried to recover from the pain of the first hit.

"Damn that hurts like hell." Naruto complained as he quickly rubbed his lower back. His upper back still to sore to touch directly. Naruto never expected for Shino to hit so hard or move as fast as he did. Despite his ninjutsu, Shino clearly had no hesitation in fighting in close quarters combat.

For the hour and a half Naruto found himself as the personal punching bag of the Aburame. The only thing keeping him in tact was the fact he had dodged for nearly the entire first half after the first hit. The second reason he was yet to have gone down was as the match went on fatigue was starting to effect Shino as his attacks came fewer and less powerful. What he didn't realized was that Shino was also cautious as he himself wasn't sure how to read Naruto's unpredictable movements which where as sporadic as popcorn under heat.

The Aburame speed and strength was due to his growing irritation. Naruto was like a cockroach. Resilient, stubborn, quick, and all around tauntingly moving around within reach. Naruto's unorthodox and strange movements made him completely unpredictable making landing a hit difficult. Whenever he aimed where Naruto would be the blond would just leap, twist, drop to the ground to avoid the blow. One perticular blow required Naruto to literally lift his legs up and fall down to dodge which caught everyone surprised.

While he had yet to take a hit himself, Shino found chasing after the blond exhausting. In contrast he couldn't see any trace of exhaustion from the boy. He was moving three times as much as him yet didn't even look winded.

A fact not missed by their audience either.

"Shino-kun and Naruto-kun are amazing." Hinata cried out in surprise. Kurenai nodded in agreement. While Hinata might not have realized it herself Kurenai could see Shino's difficulty in keeping up with Naruto. As she watched she wondered herself just how much stamina the boy had.

Unfortunately she wouldn't find out with the current match since Shino had changed strategies deciding to pin Naruto down in a strangle hold. Not surprising since landing a knock out hit seemed to be pretty impossible.

Seeing that Naruto had been caught and couldn't move Kurenai called the victor. "That's the match. Shino, do you feel up to fighting another match?"

Shino shook his head. Now that the match was over he was surprised to find himself rather winded. Electing to sit down and watch, Kurenai nodded in understanding and directed Hinata and Naruto to take positions to spar.

Naruto showing no problems with going another round readied himself as excitement built up within him. Even if he was beaten it still excited him that he could fight someone stronger then himself. Having fought himself for years it was nice to fight another person for a change without holding back or acting. The memory of Mikon and Ino popped into his head which he quickly extinguished.

Making him more excited was that he knew that technically speaking he was weaker then Shino and even Hinata. Having seen both of them fight he knew Shino was much stronger then he was let people believe. The ache in his back just adding further proof to what he already knew was true. As for Hinata while he didn't understand it, he had overheard how Hinata's fight style, her clan's style, was incredibly powerful. He had seen it before but today he would experience it for the first time.

On Kurenai's signal Naruto charged forward at full speed eager to grow stronger.

Catching Hinata by surprise Naruto found himself taking a Jūken strike to his lung. Caught off guard by the sudden pain Naruto practically crumbled in front of a panicked Hinata as he struggled to breath. Hinata watched as Naruto clutched his chest hacking and gasping for air. The heavy curdling cries for air echoed. The cries quickly turned to loud as his lungs recovered from the shock.

"I'm so sorry. Are you okay Naruto-kun? You where so fast and I just reacted and..." She started saying surprised that his breathing seemed to recover before stopping as Naruto started laughed.

"HAHA, cough-cough... Owww, it hurts to laugh." Naruto muttered as he coughed up a little blood. "That was amazing what did you do? That hurt like hell."

Kurenai having rushed over worried at the ramifications of the near perfect Jūken strike to his lung was reading to call the match knowing just how deadly such a blow could be. Now she was stupefied in shock by Naruto's laughter at being injured. She became more surprised as he got back up and took his stance again.

"Naruto, are you still able to continue?" she asked. Receiving an excited smile from the boy, now completely focused on his opponent, relented as she signaled for the match to continue.

Closing the distance again, Naruto showed no signs of the having been hit heavily by a Jūken strike. Dodging and weaving away from her palm strikes he winched each time she grazed him.

Realizing that direct attacks left him vulnerable and that near misses still did damage, Naruto leapt back before running in circles around the Hyuuga. Hinata stood perfectly still as she kept her 'eyes' on Naruto. Seeing that she wasn't moving Naruto charged her from behind. Spinning around Hinata readied to strike again but hesitated.

Hinata worried about hurting Naruto again held back her strike and was surprised when Naruto jumped sideways in a similar fashion that he did in Shino's match, flipping throught the air spinning along an axis. Standing up straight he looked at Hinata. Naruto glared at her both upset and displeased. "Hinata the point of sparing is to improve one's skills against a strong opponent." Naruto said aloud causing everyone to listen.

"If your not going to come at me 100% then there's no point in me training against you." Naruto said.

Hinata looked down at the ground. It was one thing to be scolded by her father but now she was being scolded by the last person she ever wanted to disappoint. Ashamed that she couldn't live up to him she mentally berated herself for being weak.

"I mean seriously what happened, your first strike was awesome." Naruto declared happily causing her to look up. "I mean it hurt like hell but I've never been brought down by a single strike like that. That's what I want to fight against. If you want to hold back that's fine. But I want to fight the Hinata that can take me down with a single hit, with no hesitation. If you don't how will I learn to deal with such attacks. So I'm gonna start over from the beginning. I'm gonna charge straight at you and anything you dish out I'm gonna return a hundred fold!" He said bending down to take a runners stance.

Hinata watched as Naruto got ready to charge her. While Naruto was trying to reassure her that he could take whatever she had, his words took a different meaning as she listened. "He's giving me a second chance," she thought to herself. Not wanting to disappoint Naruto again she took her stance and braced herself for his attack.

Seeing her take her stance brimming with a solid confidence to meet his expectations, Naruto grinned wildly as he teasingly shouted,"Ready...GO!"

Charging forward again like a mad man, Naruto shot forth at Hinata. Hinata this time while not wanting to hurt Naruto didn't want to disappoint him more. And so without hesitating shifted her stance to dodge his predicted punch at the last second thrust out her palm through his guard, striking his shoulder squarely causing him to lose control over his arm.

Reeling in pain again Naruto tumbled and rolled along the ground clutching should as he rolled into a crouching position. Turning around to face Hinata again, the worried girl was greeted not with a look of anguish but with a one-thousand megawatt smile. Over joyed and ecstatic with the prospect of fight her properly Naruto got back up and starting swinging his arm as the pain began to mellow out.

"Now that's what I'm talking about." he shouted out charging again.

Kurenai watched as the boy got the stuffing beaten out of him. While she would normally be worried about him taking so many Jūken strikes to his internal organs she found herself speechless at the boys tenacity. As after a half an hour had passed, the boy finally fell on the ground beaten and broken. Upon closer inspection he was still breathing and more creepily was smiling like a mad man. Hinata while slightly winded by the blonds countless attacks was otherwise unharmed. Using her eyes she dodged and countered every attack and sneak attack the boy could dish out.

Declaring the match over Kurenai out of concern for Naruto's condition quickly examined Naruto's injuries. Having him test and move specific joins she directed him to perform breathing exercises to determine how much internal damage he had suffered from Hinata's attacks. She was amazed that the boy showed little to no sign of organ damage or labored breathing. In fact he looked like he had just gotten through a rough sparring match and not one that most would consider unsafe.

When she asked what he felt he simply replied, "Well when I got hit it would hurt like hell but after a minute it would hurt a bit but only as an annoyance." Kurenai nodded in silence. "So this is the strength of the Kyuubi's healing. If it was anyone else they would be in the hospital by now. Still I'm surprised it is so stronger to heal Hinata's strikes so quickly." She thought to herself. While it could be that Naruto was just durable it seemed more likely that the fox was healing his wounds as he got them.

Acknowledging that he was okay at the very least decided to continue the teams training. Helping Naruto up and maneuvering him next to where she would proctor the final sparing match between Hinata and Shino continued to keep an eye on Naruto's condition to be safe. Signaling the match to begin she glanced towards Naruto who was also watching with a glazed and hollow look on his face.

"So did you enjoy sleeping in Naruto?" Kurenai teasingly asked as she fished for the reason why he was late.

"Not really, I didn't sleep last night." he replied not taking his eyes off Hinata or Shino.

"So you had trouble falling asleep I take it?" she asked watching Hinata gracefully weaving under Shino's guard, delivering a palm strike to his left rib cage.

Shaking his head Naruto replied, "No. I didn't attempt to sleep at all. I was up all night confirming stuff with Jiji... I mean the Hokage."

"The Hokage?" Kurenai asked, surprised that he had been with the Third. "What where you doing all night with the Hokage?" Kurenai asked.

"I can't really answer. Jiji said not to say anything yet but it related to _that_ inside me." Naruto whispered so only Kurenai could hear.

Naruto was glad when she smiled. "I see, in that case I'll forgive you for being late, but remember I expect you to be on time from now on."

Naruto nodded, inclining his head forward, glad she wasn't asking any more questions. No longer focused on fighting or occupied by the adrenaline of matches Naruto's mind was freed to wonder as it wished.

Thanks of everything he had read last night with the Hokage, Naruto's mind had plenty of material to wonder about with. From mock reconstructions of the events to speculations as to why everything occurred the way it did and why. For the entire night Naruto and Hiruzen compared thoughts and attempted to decipher the truth of the night of Naruto's birth. While most of what they acquired was speculation sometime in the night Hiruzen froze in fear. Naruto wasn't sure what Hiruzen had realized but Jiji refused to tell him anything. Naruto's mind fell back to the Fuinjutsu: Shiki Fūjin or Reaper Death Seal Jutsu which Hiruzen had brought out after the revelation he had attained.

For the rest of the night they had spent most of their time reading and analyzing the reaper death seal. More specifically Hiruzen teaching him the complexities of the jutsu itself. By the end of the night Naruto along with about twenty clones read and re-read the jutsu time and time again with the Hokage who recalled the painful memory of watching his parents seal the fox in him. While he wouldn't answer why he was recalling such a painful memory Hiruzen did tell him it was important for him to do so and that he should focus on the seal. Naruto wasn't sure why he found it so important to analyze the original seal but wasn't about to give up the chance to do so.

The two would have continued looking over the forbidden formula more if not for the Hokage saying they would pick up on the investigation later, leaving the research to several ANBU. Naruto didn't know exactly why the Hokage closed shop early but quickly figured out why when he looked at the clock.

Sitting on the grass Naruto remembered the contents he had read in an attempt to occupy his mind so it didn't wonder to more darker thoughts and doubts. Naruto was surprised by how vividly he recalled every detail of the Reaper Death Seal Jutsu. Even the parts he didn't understand Naruto could recall every part of the formula. Not surprising he guessed considering how many times he must have read it that night.

Naruto let his mind sharpen as his focus dove straight down into contemplating the intricate nature of the sealing jutsu. Naruto recognized that the jutsu was a child jutsu of the Summoning Jutsu. It was heavily modified but it still required the user to summon something called the Death God. Naruto shivered at the though of the Death God which was described as a spirit. With a basic understanding, the part he wanted to understand the most was how the sealing process worked itself, and that was where the formula became unreadable.

The Hokage had told him not to worry to much over not understanding the jutsu since even he struggled with it. Breathing out the tension created by the mental frustration Naruto reminded himself of the Hokage's words as he whispered them a loud.

"Remember that learning a jutsu is a lot easier then breaking down and understanding a jutsu. Right... Jiji"

 **-Hokage Office-**

Hiruzen sneezed as the papers on his desk flew all over the place. "Damn it." he grumbled as he proceeded to gathered those that where still within reach. The Hokage looked over the work he had managed to complete and felt his age catching up to him. Not only was his body aching his heart just wasn't in his work today.

The back of his mind was still contemplating all of the new events the night the Kyuubi attacked possibly held. He had already sent a messenger hawk to Jiraiya and waiting for his student left the Hokage feeling restive. The more time passed the more incapable he was of working as the aspect of someone instigating the attack twelve years ago haunted him. Ironically the paper work before him for once was a welcome sight and distraction.

Hiruzen turned to stare at the picture of the Fourth that hung in his office. He let the sense of melancholy wash over him as he stared at it compassionately. He wanted to deny everything, to declare that everything Naruto pointed out was false. However the facts where there and he couldn't refute it.

Someone was responsible for the attack and did implement the Kyuubi as a tool for Konoha's destruction. Worse they had gone unnoticed for twelve years with no one the wiser.

Rebuilding the events of the past from the documents available everything made more sense when an aggressor was put into play. While he didn't inform Naruto about his mother's status as the previous Jinchuuriki he himself had the knowledge the she was. Placing the fact that he knew the seal was weakest when a female Jinchuuriki went into labor, it made sense that someone had attacked during that period of vulnerability. It would also explain why the Kyuubi suddenly appeared in the middle of the village from out of nowhere when it should have approached from the direction where Kushina was giving birth.

As Hiruzen and Naruto rebuilt the past Hiruzen noticed that during the initial stages of the attack there was a trend. Armories, storehouses, shelters, medical facilities... every attack the Kyuubi preformed had destroyed such locations of importance almost strategically. However five minutes after Minoto had redirected a large blast from the Kyuubi the beast's pattern of attack had changed. While outside of the village its movements and attacks became less forces. While the first half of that night almost like a strategic attack disguised as a random assault the later half was as if the beast was simply swatting flies, attack out of annoyance. In hindsight it was almost embarrassingly clear that something was amiss.

Hiruzen hated himself for not realization the patterns and implications sooner. Especially having been apart of the battle himself. Unsurprisingly in hindsight no one would have wanted to linger in thought over that terrible night.

Still he hated himself for being one of those people. As the Hokage he had a duty to ensure the village's safety. Ignoring a threat that had presented itself and gone into hiding was unforgivable in his eyes. Even if that action was born of ignorance.

"Well something big must have happened for you to have that look on your face old man."

Turning around Hiruzen felt as if he could break into a smile for the first time that day as he saw Jiraiya crouching on the windowsill. The mans goofy grin quickly turned serious seeing his master's grim attitude unchanged by his appearance.

"I'm guessing something pretty serious happened for even you to be this down." Jiraiya said as he closed the window behind him.

Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, taking a puff from his pipe as he jumped for joy in his heart. "While I'm not complaining about you arriving so soon, I'm a little surprised. I had expected my letter not to reach you for a few days if not later.

Scratching the back of his head Jiraiya laughed as he explained, "Well to be honest we would have been here sooner if not for a group of bandits. Had Mikon covered her left side more carefully we would have gotten here three days sooner."

Stopping his laughter abruptly he pulled out Hiruzen's letter. "But that's not why you sent me this..." he said holding up Hiruzen's letter, glaring as he continued, "Why the emergency summons? From what I can tell the only higher up acting like there's an emergency is you. So what's up?"

Explaining everything Naruto had brought to light from his "internal" interaction and the research they had done, Hiruzen explained his belief in an unknown instigator for the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha.

Listening quietly Jiraiya felt like his stomach was turning inside out as the Hokage explained what he had learned. "You got to be kidding me," Jiraiya got out exasperated when Hiruzen finished, "On top of the Kyuubi being intelligent, you're telling me someone out there is capable of controlling the Kyuubi and unleashing it on the Village. To make matters worse if all of this is true then all this would mean that Minato failed to seal away the entire Kyuubi and Naruto has suffered all this time under a false notion that he held the monster?"

Hiruzen nodded simply as he brought his pipe to his mouth.

Jiraiya shook his had as he leaned against a bookshelf. "Unreal..."

Covering his eyes, trying to make sense of everything he had been told he asked, "And how's Naruto handling all this?"

Smiling a little Hiruzen answered, "Better then we feared, worse then we'd hoped sums it up well I think. Surprising really, considering he must have spent a week trying to identify where he himself ends and the fox begins."

"Speaking of which, how did Naruto come to learn about the damn fox?" Jiraiya asked immediately regretting his doing so when Hiruzen answered him.

"Mizuke turned traitor and attempted to convince the boy he was the fox himself when he attempted to use the boy to steal the Scroll of Sealing."

Jiraiya dropped to the ground as he took the words on like a hot brand to his skin. The words burned him, cursing under his breath for not telling the boy properly himself.

"We have Iruka to thank for the boys current mental state. If not for him Naruto as we know him would likely have fallen and shattered apart." Hiruzen continued not wishing to leave Jiraiya completely shattered from the news.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to thank him." Jiraya said as he got up. "Damn it... So does this emergency summons, does it have to do with that night or Naruto?"

Shaking his head Hiruzen said, "Neither. I wanted your assistance in the matter of Naruto's seal"

Raising his eyebrow in surprise the toad sage asked, "You think somethings wrong with the seal?"

Nodding Hiruzen explained, "I wanted a second opinion on it. If the Kyuubi's words are correct then the seal may have been faulty from the get go. From what it said and I saw, Minato most likely intended to seal half the Kyuubi inside Naruto and the other half inside himself. However if we are to believe what the fox says is true then there should be signs that..."

"the sealing process was interrupted or that the seal itself was designed to hold back more then is currently present. Or something along those line right?" Jiraiya concluded to which Hiruzen nodded in confirmation.

"Damn. So whats the worse case scenario we are looking at here?" Jiraiya asked. Any of the obvious stuff was bad enough. The Kyuubi still being on the lose, the mysterious attacked who had access to S ranked classified information attacking again, or worse information that the Fourth failed to seal the Fox leaking out and triggering a new war as a result of everyone searching for the fox's chakra.

"Well on the plus side, if there was an attacker since they haven't attacked again it means one of two things. The first their objective was completed or second they are currently unable to attack as they are waiting for something. My personal thoughts are betting its the latter. If they carry some grudge they would have attacked some time within the last twelve years. This is all speculation mind you on my part."

Exhaling a large plume of smoke from his pipe he continued, "No the worse case scenario right now is on top of all these issues the Kyuubi within Naruto is released due to some error within the seals construction. And while I'd like to believe the fox's story that it doesn't wish to leave the seal out of a desire for self preservation, I'm still sticking to the side of caution that it's not telling us the whole truth."

"And so you along with myself will take a second look at it to make sure its functioning properly?"

Shaking his head Hiruzen added, "..and investigating the seals foundation. The more we know about Naruto's condition the better." stroking his chin he concluded, "Something about all this is weighing heavily on me. The fox said to Naruto that Minato failed to seal its _body_ within Naruto. Do you think that power we sealed away was the fox's body?"

Jiraiya pondered what he meant. "Are you referring to the Shizuku Tsubo?" Jiraiya inquired, recalling the ominous power he had sealed away in the cleverly named white scroll with black caps. "Honestly I can't think they're connected really. However it's true I can't rule out the possibility it is since we have no idea what this 'core' is that holds up a Bijuu."

"What makes you believe it can't be?" Hiruzen asked.

"Simple, all that dark chakra was residual, left over residue. Sure it might have come directly from the fox but it was still left over residue. I find myself hard pressed to see that stuff as the rope that holds an entire Bijuu together. That's kinda why I decided to call it the scroll Shizuku Tsubo in the first place." Jiraiya argued.

"In that case so long as the Kyuubi's body doesn't pop up somewhere, the only thing we need to worry about is everything else." Hiruzen summarized, "Everyone is of the belief that Konoha has the Kyuubi, as long as the body doesn't make an appearance we can quietly keep an eye out and search for it."

"Sounds like it. I can handle keeping an ear out for our mystery attacker though with little information to go on I doubt I'll be able to learn anything solid. Konoha has a long list of haters after all and anything regarding the Kyuubi being free will be quick to incite rumors and panic." Jiraiya said callously.

Hiruzen shook his head, "No, what I need you to do is keep an watchful eye on both Mikon and Orochimaru. We already know that there are two groups after Mikon and Naruto respectively. The Akatsuki and this unknown group who have access to sage jutsu. Jiraiya I still need you to gather information of both of them respectfully."

Jiraiya stepped back as he took in Hiruzen's order. For a long time he remained quiet before he answered Hiruzen. "With all due respect I can't do that."

Hiruzen was about to speak up when Jiraiya raised his hand requesting his sensei to let him explain. Giving a curt nod Jiraiya explained.

"First off thanks to my efforts when Orochimaru fled the village I have a means of tracking him at all times. That night if I wasn't holding back and focused on my own mission maybe I could have stopped him right then and there but that's besides the point. Second I've tried but I can't look after Mikon while gathering intelligence on both the Akatsuku and Orochimaru. As for the this new group I've been keeping my ear to the ground for information on them. Unfortunately they've gone silent ever since my engagement with them four years ago." Jiraiya listed out explaining his position.

"Mikon is a hand full as it is and more importantly has already drawn the attention of some shady individuals to herself. At this point I can't look after Mikon while researching these groups without putting her in danger. And finally I have to admit I have been neglecting the second half of my promise to Minoto and Kushina. While I have a duty to the village and a duty to protect Mikon, I also have a duty to Naruto as his godfather. Sadly I have been neglecting that part of my promise. By keeping Mikon at my side I have been able to protect Naruto from those that would target him and have sown the seeds of doubt regarding his status as a Jinchuuriki all the while responding to those that would hurt him. However I can't say I have been properly looking after him either. This incident with Mizuki just being the most recent example of me not doing my duties properly."

Taking in a deep breath Jiraiya stood his ground as he said, "If you order my to continue gathering research I will head out when ordered but a request you allow my to not go back on my duty to Naruto and Mikon. It's not fair to either of them."

Hiruzen looked at his student let a smile grace his features. "Very well. Until further notice, Jiraiya, you are to be on standby within the village, ready and able to protect it when needed. What you do until that time is up to you. Just try to not to cause too many riots at the public baths."

Jiraiya grinned gratefully at his old sensei as a thought occurred to him. "Now that I think of it, where is Naruto right now?"

"Right about now... he should be finishing up his training."

 **-Konoha Market-**

Naruto walked beside Shino and Hinata as they made there way home. Naruto was surprised as much as Hinata was at how much of a slave driver Kurenai was. For the entire day she spent evaluating their physical skills and ninjutsu. He got a particular earful during the ninjutsu exercises when his lack of chakra control became apparent.

While he was excited about being a genin he wasn't sure what to make of his two teammates. Shino was always weird and the constant buzzing emitting from underneath his jacket was even weirder. Thinking of the buzzing did he hide all his insects in his jacket. Rumors where that Shino carried his hive within him. Naruto wondered if that was similar to how he kept the fox inside him.

Then there was Hinata, Naruto always thought she was a weird girl but in a good way. Unlike everyone else in the class she wasn't a Sasuke fan which meant she was better then most girls. The fact she wasn't made her to stand out to him and the constant fidgeting just cemented her in the weird category of people he knew.

"Umm... my house is this way so..." Hinata stuttered out as she rushed off too embarrassed to speak clearly with Naruto. A fact which was unsurprising if you took into considerations how much skin he revealed without his trademark orange jumpsuit.

"Yeah, see ya Hinata." Naruto shouted waving after her. Noting she didn't seem to notice he turned around and watched Shino walk off as well. "See you tomorrow as well Shino... I guess..." Naruto shouted before he trailed off.

In the end even if they were genin his classmates wouldn't open up to him. Walking home alone he came up to his apartment building which once again had been defiled by the locals. At this point Naruto didn't even care or notice the degrading words written on the building.

Opening his door he turned on the lights, grabbed a cup of ramen, a pot of water, and waited for the water to boil as he set it on the stove. He stared at the pot in silence and even as it began to steam he ignored it as he wondered how everything changed. Things where right back to the way they had been before. Once more he found himself alone.

Pouring the water into the cup Naruto slouched in his chair as he waiting three minutes barely able to think. Wallowing in his thoughts the clock ticked the seconds away as they echoed in the room.

Shutting off the timer he set, Naruto peeled away the carton lid and slurped the noodles from the cup.

Sliding the window open Jiraiya declared, "Well you sure have become depressed in the time I've been away."

"Jira-guhff!"

Nearly choking, Naruto coughed up what he ate as he tried to get his breathing under control. Turned around in surprise his heart still racing. Oblivious to the noodles dangling from his nose Naruto was greeted with a welcome face he hadn't seen in a while. "Jiraiya-ojisan!? When'd you get back, dattebayo?!"

"This morning," the old man replied in all seriousness, "Now get rid of those noodles including the ones coming out of your nose. We're going out. No objections!"

Recognizing the tone he used where dealing with important matters Naruto nodded and quickly made himself presentable before leaping out the window after Jiraiya who was wait for him just below the window.

After joining up with him Naruto said, "If you where coming back then you should have told me, ojisan." While he wasn't complaining since he was a welcome sight it seemed odd for him to be back so soon considering her only returned three times over the course of the last four years.

Jiraiya laughed as he replied, "Well you know Mikon, she insisted we come back saying that it was absolutely necessary. As usual her instincts seem to have been right."

"Mikon did? Wait is she here too?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Yeah the girls here... somewhere." he answered exasperated. The girl took off the moment we got here and I haven't seen her since." Jiraiya said explaining the reason for the girls absence.

"Normal I'd be upset at her disappearing but this is Konoha and what's more her intuition was right on the money too." he said turning to face Naruto, "Since you dodged it last time I'll be straight forward. I heard you took a trip down the dark side and got involved in some nasty truth telling."

His face darkening Naruto nodded as he recalled the incident with Mizuki.

Seeing the boys face Jiraiya hated the fact he left the boy alone for so long. "Well nothing can be done and your still okay. In the end you made the right choice and for that I'm proud of you." he continued ruffling the boys head. Naruto though uncomfortable smiled at the fatherly contact. Those where the words he needed to hear more then anything. Smiling like an idiot wondered for how long he could enjoy this sensation before it had to disappear again.

As if reading his mind Jiraiya said, "Well thankfully I won't be leaving any time soon so I'll be around to set you straight if you mess up again." winking at him.

Naruto shouted out in pleasure unable to contain his happiness at having his family back in the village. Charging down the street he literally jumped off the walls as he let his emotions fly.

Snickering at the boys reactions he whispered to the shadows, "Is this the first time you've seen him like this, Kurenai?"

In the shadows Kurenai nodded as she observed the boy's true self dancing in front of her. "I knew he was hiding his emotions but I didn't think everything he demonstrated was just a facade."

Jiraiya looked at the boy as he ignored Kurenai's misinterpretation. Speaking with both pride and concern he stated, "Naruto will always put himself forward in the defense of his team, I can guarantee this. However the problem lies in that truth. Kurenai... you came to me to ask about Naruto's recless abandon during his training right? Right now neither you nor I can stop him from doing such since its already ingrained within who he is."

"Who he is?" she repeated not understanding the toad sage's words.

Nodding in response to her question Jiraiya continued to explain, "Naruto has already watched a close friend nearly die at his hands and blames himself for it. He's already gotten over the fear of experience a life or death combat scenario against someone vastly stronger then himself. A result of this however is that what Naruto fears worse then death is not doing enough to protect others. This is a fear that is also closely tied to his fears of mistakenly drawing strength from the power that hides within him. As a result he will throw himself at the enemy as if he has a death wish. This is just what it will seem like but he isn't suicidal and will respond and act to defend himself. However if he has to choose between his friends and himself, he won't even stop to choose them."

Turning to glare firmly at the jounin he concluded, "It is a mentality born by experience, fear, and the village itself. As an instructor you'll be powerless to change his mentality right now so don't both with it. Right now Naruto lacks a solid sense of self and to him the notion of protecting himself equates to doing harm to his friends. Something he's not willing to do and will try to prevent from happening, no matter the cost. He'll push himself further then anyone else would dare and come out on top."

Kurenai nodded quietly, a little uncertain of what to make of Jiraiya's words. She was surprised he had guessed her reason for appearing before him. Being Naruto's guardian and having taught him as a child she had hoped he could tell her how to deal with Naruto's seemingly reckless abandon during training.

Walking after the overjoyed blond who was still jumping around excitedly Jiraiya thought to himself, "Sorry Kurenai but this is something that only those close to him can solve. I can't teach him how to value himself like you can. But to teach him that you need him to open himself up to you. For now I can leave his training to you. Right now I have to help him heal the divide he has in his identity. That's something only his friends and family can do"

Walking down the street Jiraiya guided by Naruto as the headed to their favorite ramen stand to celebrate their reunion. "Now... all that's left is to see if his teammates can break his shell to meet him."

 **-Hyuuga Main Branch Manor-**

Hinata sat quietly as she ate her meal in her room. While it was considered impolite and disrespectful she was surprised but pleased when her farther ignored her when she left to eat alone. Lost in her thoughts she struggled to come to grips with how different Naruto was. She recalled how he would stay behind and continue to throw shuriken even as everyone else went home. The time he was mocked for his failed transformation of the Hokage and spend the next three weeks doing nothing but transforming until he got it down.

While she knew that to anyone else her act of watching him would be considered similar to the acts of a stalker but really it was simply a matter of confidence. She never had the courage to interact with him properly. Something that was alarmingly true for their first day of training. Happy she was able to please him something felt horribly off when she was with him.

She always wanted to get to know him. This was always true. Ever since that snowy day she had found herself tied to the blond as if by fate.

At first she simply desired to return his muffler to him, but kept hesitating, to shy to return it. But as she continued to watch him, waiting for a chance to give it to him she realized how similar Naruto was to her as well as how different he was from her.

Like her everyone laughed or mocked him as a failure, a loser. But despite that he never lost his way, his desire to be the best and desire to be recognized. As Hinata watched him challenge every wall that appeared before him she grew inspired and wanted to be just like him. However the question that stayed her foot for the longest time was if she could become someone like him, a person who never gave up.

It wasn't until Mikon came into her life and pointed out how much more capable she was then Naruto. Her words encouraged Hinata to finally return the muffler and take the first step towards her ideal self.

It was also at that time she realized that she liked Naruto. Truthfully it was Mikon who pointed it out to her. At some point her admiration changed to a desire to stand beside him and defy all odds. It was at this point when she realized that she liked him that she noticed at some point she had changed. Instead of watching Naruto as a means of inspiring herself she was now watching him, cheering him on from the shadows.

However training with him earlier had shattered what she thought she knew about him. Today she learned just how strong and capable Naruto was and it made her wonder, was everything she had seen a lie? Up until this point was he faking everything, hiding his real strength while acting like he was a failure? While knowing that wasn't the case since Naruto wasn't the type to lie and that he always gave it his all she still couldn't help but wallow before the rift that seemed to have appeared before her.

Waking her from her thoughts was a series of subtle knocks at her window. Pulling the shades back she was surprised to see a similar grinning face to the man inhabiting her thoughts. "Miko-chan?" Hinata gasped out in surprise. Opening the window she asked in a whisper, "What are you doing her? When did you get back?"

Grinning Mikon whisper, "Figured you'd want to talk." as she forced her way into the compound.

Flustered Hinata warned, "Wait, Miko-chan, if my family catches you here..." but was cut off when Mikon smiled wickedly.

"So long as we don't make a ruckus we'll be fine. More importantly I saw you and a certain blond during training." she stated causing Hinata to blush slightly in embarrassment as she thought of Naruto.

"You saw our practice?" Hinata asked to which Mikon inclined her head in acknowledgment. "Yeah I saw it. You really kick Naruto's ass. But that isn't why I came here. Let me guess, Naruto's a lot stronger then you thought he was and it's got you questioning you feelings for him or something."

Hinata remained stiffly quite as she turned to stare at Mikon sadly. She was astonished to be sure that Mikon had figured out what had been on her mind all night so easily but having it said aloud only made her feel the rift grow larger. Between trying to figure out how Mikon read her so easily all the while mangaging the sadness she was feeling found that all she could do was sputter out her words.

"H-how did you..."

Was all she could get out before Mikon read her thoughts and jokingly said, "I didn't, I just read your face. It's written all over it actually." Giggling she pointed at the blushing girl as she continued to say, "I'm here to clear it up your confusion. First off, Naruto isn't a good actor so get over the idea that he's faking anything. Sure he didn't display his strength like everyone else but Naruto wasn't always strong like he seemed today. He just had the courage to challenge himself. Just like you and me, Naruto has his own worries and fears."

"Naruto's fears?" Hinata muttered, doubting that the blond could be anything but confident and brave. It made sense however. Nobody was perfect and someone like Naruto would naturally have stuff he worries over. "Right now you're closer to him then ever before but you're also the furthest you've ever been." Mikon pointed out as Hinata began to wonder just how much she knew about Naruto.

Hinata opened her mouth to ask what she meant but was stopped as Mikon place her finger against her lips. "Unlike before, Naruto now has a team he wants to support and be apart of, however Naruto-kun is afraid. He's afraid of what will happen if he opens up to someone else again. He doesn't know what you guys will think about him or the burden he carries. In fact he's afraid opening up will allow you to reconfirm his doubts as well as the fear that doing so will cause another event like _that_ to happen again. Right now just like how you're to shy to step forward, he's too scared to open up."

Moving her finger back from Hinata's lips Mikon sighed, "Which is why even though you're close enough to touch him you are now left guessing and uncertain. Naruto's shut himself off from both you and that bug guy, everyone actually. Even though he's now showing everything he's got so as not to be a burden it's catching you off guard."

Hinata wondered if Naruto revealed his true strength because he really wanted to support them. She smiled at the thought since it meant he really wanted to be with them. She also could understand why he'd hide his true strength in the Academy. After all she had seen how the teachers had fought against him time and again doing everything they could so he would never succeed.

"So that's why Naruto so strong now..." Hinata stated happy that she simply jumped to the wrong conclusion.

Mikon shook her head as she stared at Hinata, "Seriously though, you thought Naruto's strength was a lie? Come on, you've watched him for years. You know better then anyone how much effort he put into becoming stronger. I bet it was that confidence of yours telling you that such an achievement couldn't be possible for someone who is so similar to you and that meant he had to be strong to begin with."

Hinata drooped her head as Mikon's words which while carrying a hint of mockery did carry a hint of truth as well. She had in fact overlapped her own weakness with Naruto's difficulties and had grown depressed as she mental determined that such success wasn't possible for people like her and Naruto. But like Mikon said, Naruto was determined and never gave up. In the end her doubts were simply another failure born of her previous failures.

"Seriously though, if Naruto who had nothing to begin with can impress you, then for someone as incredible and talented as you Hinata... Heheh... well I know you can become so much stronger." Mikon said confidently.

"T-that's n-not true," Hinata stuttered, "A failure like me..." she muttered drifting off before she found herself being grabbed by Mikon and pushed into her bed. Hinata found Mikon's grip painful but was lost and oblivious to the world due to her eyes.

Hinata stared into Mikon's eyes as both anger and confidence stared back at her. Her glare practically burning into her retina, taking her breath and freedom as the same confidence and frustration Mikon once expressed at Hinata's doubts in herself weighed heavily on her tone. "Hinata, you have to have more confidence. Naruto literally had nothing going for him and he became strong. You, you have the blood of a Hyuuga. The byakugan is a powerful skill and even more so you have the Jūken style of fighting. Not only that but you carry a kindness your clan lacks. That isn't a weakness, it's a strength."

Mikon finished speaking leaving Hinata to soak up her words. That confidence, it was so much like Naruto's. Mikon's words had shaken her fears and blown them away with such ease. As she looked back at Mikon she imagined it was Naruto complimenting her to which caused her to react more then she would have liked.

"And besides," Mikon muttered seeing an opportunity to slip behind Hinata. Bringing her hands around Hinata to grip her chest teasingly as she took hold of both mounds and gave both a tight squeeze, drawing out a series of moans from Hinata. "No one in your class is as developed as you are. And that's definitely a plus."

Hinata bit her lip as she stifled another moan. She was too embarrassed to say anything lest she mistakenly let her voice escape from her throat. As Hinata had just imagined Naruto staring at her she now found herself being grouped by the image of Naruto in her mind. Flushed bright red at the thought of Naruto complementing her rather early growth spurt caused her to quickly pass out from excitement.

Feeling Hinata droop in her arms Mikon snickered at the girl. "Hehe, you're way to easy to play with Hina-chan~" Mikon said as she maneuvered around to lay Hinata in her bed properly. Placing Hinata in her bed and covering her up Mikon watched as a happy grin accompanied her blushing as she laid in her warm bed. "What I would give to be a Yamanaka right now." Mikon thought to herself as she wondered what perverted fantasy was running through the shy Hyuuga's mind.

Slipping out of the room figuring her mission with Hinata was done for the night, Mikon left her second best friend to walk in the land of pleasant dreams. Jumping up she made a quiet dash through the village. She only made it a few blocks before a swarm of bugs started to surround her. It didn't take a genius to identify the culprit.

"Cool it bug-boy I'm friendly," Mikon shouted as she flared her chakra violently causing the roof tiles under her feet to shatter. The bugs surrounding her quickly retreated in fear of imminent death as the dense chakra scorched the air around her.

The insects retreated to the safety of their host to which Shino revealed himself from the shadows, gracing her with his presence. "Judging from your chakra you are not being that friendly either... Mikon." Shino stated with his usual unemotional air. Raising his arms he readied to attack while keeping his distance.

"So tell me what exactly do you think you where doing to Hinata?" Shino demanded. Mikon shrugged surprised at how loyal he was to his teammate.

Shrugging Mikon rested her hands against the back of her head letting out a sigh of boredom. "What did it look like I was doing? I was encouraging and feeling her up." She declared blandly. Mikon spotted Shino stiffen slightly as she said 'feeling her up'. She smirked at how cute the bug user was as he hid the embarrassment that would normally have shown itself on his face if not for it behind hidden behind his jacket.

Turning around Mikon made to leave but stopped as she decided to ask, "What are your thoughts on Hinata anyway?"

If Shino was surprised by the change in topic he didn't show it. Trying to figure Mikon out he cautiously said, "She is my teammate. While I don't know her well I have observed her desire to become stronger. Unlike many of the girls in the Academy she devoted herself to being a shinobi. I respect her desire to improve herself and can find no fault in her character."

Mikon smiled as she listened to his answer. She was not honestly expecting such a solid answer from him. She couldn't recall ever seeing him interact with Hinata after all. Little did anyone know, Shino was always watching others and wanted to express who he truly was. As an Aburame he was naturally introverted but despite this held a strong desire for friendship and companionship with his classmates. His natural mix between being stoic and a matter-a-fact kind of guy however always made communicating difficult. Even when he wanted to express how he appreciated something done for him or expressed his desire to befriend someone, it always came off as standoffish.

In all honesty he didn't mind Hinata as despite her shyness she didn't reject or express revulsion at him like some of his classmates did. Even as she learned of his like for insects the girl simply smiled and admired his devotion to his passion. At the same time he felt a sadness at how the girl admired his passion but seemed to be haunted be her own wishes as if they where unattainable.

Mikon thought for a second, weighing whether she should ask Shino her real question or not. If she did she'd get either the answer she wanted or end up hating the Aburame for life. Jiraiya had pointed out that once she made up her mind she risked becoming biased about a subject. She couldn't argue against his statement since he wasn't wrong.

Succumbing to curiosity Mikon abandoned caution as she asked, "...What are your thoughts on Naruto?"

Shino paused for a moment. In all honesty he wasn't sure what to think about Naruto. Throughout his presence in the academy it always felt like he never met the real Naruto Uzumaki. Something about him always felt off... dark even. Whenever he acted happy-go-lucky he felt like he was seeing the real Naruto but it was almost like viewing him through murky water. Shino couldn't quite understand it himself but it felt off. Not quite a mask but at the same time not quite real.

His kikaichū behavior didn't help matters either. From what he could tell Naruto was like an all you could eat buffet for his insects in which every so often the food would be poisoned granting instant death to all who ate it. A similar trait that Mikon held with him. The only difference was her chakra was naturally deadly to his kikaichū.

While Naruto himself never did anything to make Shino dislike him at the same time he kept himself distant enough to not to give him a chance at understanding him. This was most true during the last four years when Shino had picked up on a strong but subtle change within him. Naruto had become notorious as a prankster and troublemaker but even then his jokes seem to have changed. Even with the numerous activity, Naruto seemed almost dead inside like he was running away from something all the while masking it with a smile at all times. Something that Shino noticed had vanished over the course of the last week.

"I don't know. Right now it feels like he's trying his best to hide himself while at the same time trying to befriend us." Shino said as he asked himself who was Naruto Uzumaki.

Nodding Mikon face lost its bored expression as she smiled. "I see... in that case just remember your not the only host in town bug-boy."

Before Shino could respond Mikon summoned a large toad and rode it off into the distance. Left alone Shino silently wondered what it was with blonds being so troublesome.

Shikamaru sneezed violently off in the distance.

 **-5** **th** **Training Grounds-**

At first Naruto was worried about the change in atmosphere between the three members of Team 8. After the first day of training and the bell test Naruto felt like both Hinata and Shino weren't responding well to his sudden reveal of skill. True he was demonstrating his true strength in the academy but he didn't think it would cause such a rift. In truth he wasn't all that good. Even if he did he'd still be in the bottom eight for sure.

To his great pleasure however nothing really changed over the course of the following week. While Shino still had yet to say a word directly to him Hinata continued to act as weird usual self. The only real difference was whenever they made eye contact she would suddenly blush heavily and clutch her chest. He feared his quick glimpse of her chest during the graduation meeting had definitely left a bad impression of himself on her.

Seeing Kurenai standing behind his two teammates he wondered how long she expected him to keep on running like this. Looking at the heavy weights on his arms and legs he felt uncomfortable as they slowly began to eat into his skin. He wished he was aloud to use chakra to run faster but Kurenai made it clear that the point of the exercise was to measure the limits of their stamina. As such team eight was instructed to run till they dropped, which was quite literally the case for Hinata who passed out from exhaustion.

Naruto wanted to mock the exercise but considering the course of the week couldn't since this was the only exercise he seemed to surpass his teammates in. First it was taijutsu, then ninjutsu, genjutsu, shurikenjutsu, stealth, strategy and finally endurance, and over the course of the week Naruto found his rank within the team to be on the bottom as usual. This didn't bother him much. No, he was particularly upset about how the stealth segment went. During the stealth exercises despite having superior stealth ninjutsu Naruto couldn't hide from the likes of the byakugan and Shino's kikaichū and as such failed to keep up with his teammates in terms of hiding and locating those hidden.

Hinata was the best in regards to taijutsu and genjutsu. Shino surpassed him in ninjutsu, shurikenjutsu, and strategy. This only left Stealth to Naruto, which he tied with Shino in, and Endurance which right now he seemed to surpass everyone in. Through it all Naruto came to learn that Kurenai despite her looks was quite the slave driver.

Kurenai however original intention behind the marathon obstacle course was to see exactly where their physical limits stood in comparison to each other and how far they could go. Not at all surprising, Hinata was the first to drop out after her thirteenth lap on the course she made followed by Shino on his fifteenth. Both were well off for their age in terms of their stamina, not amazing but not at the point where they were lacking either. Most genin would normally pass out after twelve to fourteen laps. As such this meant Naruto was by no means a normal genin.

And it was on that note while explaining to Shino and Hinata the purpose of the exercise that she came to the conclusion that Naruto was by far a freak of nature at least where endurance was concerned.

After and hour had passed it became clear that Naruto's natural stamina was not normal, at least for a genin. While Naruto didn't pass out it was clear that after completing the course a total of thirty-three times had far surpassed his peers in terms of stamina alone. For a brief moment Kurenai wondered if Naruto had any relation to another over the top and overzealous genin who was notorious for wearing the same green spandex that his instructor wore.

"Naruto-kun really is amazing" Hinata muttered as she finally managed to be rid of the image of Naruto groping her from her mind. Thanks to Mikon, she was constantly haunted by the perverted fantasy whenever they made eye contact with each other. On the other hand she was sleeping better since her dreams consisted of Naruto being stuck in her mind. On the flip side she feared Mikon learning that she been having such dreams for the last week. If she learned of it Hinata knew she'd never let it down.

Outside of her fantasies and concerns Shino nodded in agreement at Hinata's observation, "His stamina is incredibly large. He must have trained very hard during our days in the Academy to last this long."

Hinata nodded in agreement. As the two sat there waiting for Naruto to tire out, Hinata found herself feeling depressed as she watched Naruto. "I wonder what else we don't know about him?"

Ever since she met him Hinata watched him struggle and push himself despite what everyone else said or did. With every new wall the village placed in front of him Naruto strove to stand above it, never wavering, never discouraged. Yet now she watched him fly past her strong as ever she was facing a new aspect to her symbol of admiration and romance. Thanks to her talk with Mikon she knew Naruto earned his strength but it left her feeling so distant from him. Sitting next to Shino Hinata could feel he felt the same. This feeling was reinforced as he asked, "Do we even know anything about Naruto?"

Shuffling in her seat she hugged her knees as for the past week that very question had plagued her heart.

Kurenai watched carefully as Shino and Hinata tried to come to grips with the new reality of who Naruto was. A reality that until recently she thought she had come to grips with. However Jiraiya's words had caused her to fall once again question if her thoughts of Naruto where right. While her observations of him where accurate she couldn't figure out what he was thinking. He never complained like she thought he would, never asked questions even when he was clueless, and never expressed himself outside his usual social appearance of a happy-go-lucky boy.

Kurenai expressed her concerns to the Hokage and was informed that he had a D rank mission he would give them later that afternoon that would give them the opportunity to get to know who Naruto was. Still she wondered why everyone close to Naruto refused to flat out inform them as to who Naruto was beneath the mask he had apparently made for himself.

Seeing him coming around the corner for another lap Kurenai decided to call it a day as despite showing signs of fatigue he had already demonstrated the lengths of his stamina which honestly didn't seem even close to running dry. "Naruto that's enough for today."

"Alright Kurenai-sensei!" he shouted in response as he rushed to join Hinata and Shino, happily removing the heavy weights.

Kurenai watched him join his teammates feeling the full weight of her feelings. She felt so incapable as a teacher. His smile didn't feel fake at all. Even if it was only a week she had expected to at least gain the boys trust and appreciation. Perhaps she had and he didn't change because she already had it. Yet it felt that he remained at arms length at all times yet never recluse or withdrawn completely. It really felt like Naruto was trying his hardest to not join the team yet be a part of it.

Kurenai remained confused as she watched Naruto move on ahead of the gang. As she guided them to the Hokage Mansion she wondered if the Hokage's mission would really give them the chance to get Naruto to open up to them if he was as closed off as she thought he was.

 **-Hokage Mansion-**

"Building repairs?" Kurenai asked more to herself as the Hokage nodded handing her the mission scroll.

"As of recently the tenant of this building has become busy these last few days and hasn't had the chance to _combat_ the damages to the building." Hiruzen began explaining. While he was unemotional Kurenai could see the sadness behind his words and wondered how this was suppose to help her team get Naruto to open up to them. Looking down she felt a vain burst under her skin as she saw Naruto had stopped paying attention after the words D rank mission were spoken. At the very least he wasn't complaining or shouting out his disapproval of being given such a boring mission she thought to herself. Turning back to the Third she listened as he continued explaining their team's mission.

At the request of the tenant, I stopped assigning this mission to repair the building a few years back. He assured me that he could take care of it himself and has done so for the last four years. As glad as I am that they didn't wish to cause me any trouble dealing with such a mundane task and with respect to their wishes I give you this mission for more practical reasons. Not only to give your team perspective on the situation within the village I also can't leave the building in the state that it is currently in. Leaving it as such would make me worry about where the village is heading and to alleviate these thoughts I am assigning Team 8 to _evaluate_ and repair the complex."

Kurenai acknowledged the Hokage's directions and guided her team to the mission sight. As she left she wondered why the Hokage had put such emphasis on the word evaluate.

As Team 8 left, Hiruzen silently thanks Jiraiya for providing him this particular mission.

"Sensei..." Hinata asked earning her jounin's attention as they walked down the hallway, "Hokage-sama said we we're going to be repairing an apartment building. Um... which building are we fixing?" she asked.

Looking down at the mission scroll she replied, "Apparently its one of the old apartments in the abandoned district, apartment complex 4242." Reading out the number Naruto went rigged, a fact that did not go unmissed by Shino or Kurenai.

"Is something wrong Naruto?" she asked to which the boy shook his head before he continued to move like normal. While Kurenai recognized the number as Naruto's apartment she wondered why the boy froze up like he did.

Arriving at the building it quickly became apparent as the sight was quite disgusting. Kurenai was shocked as she had seen the building once before when she was observing Naruto. While it was no five star hotel it wasn't a completely awful place to live considering the evidence left behind by continuous maintenance and repairs.

What she wasn't expecting to see was a heavily run down and damaged building that looked like it had been abandoned for at least five years. In the span of a week it went from being decent to a horridly decrepit and warn down nightmare. Worse the graffiti upon the building clearly voiced out the hatred directed at it's only resident. Kurenai quickly turned to look at Naruto who had transformed into a husk of his former self. Even without training she could hear his heart cursing the Hokage as he himself remained silent for essentially showing his team his domestic troubles. Kurenai understood his silent struggle. While he didn't care what the villagers thought, by no means did he want his teammates to see his home like this.

The graffiti was more then readable from a distance and struck Hinata and Shino as unbelievable. "H-how cruel..." was all Hinata could mutter out dumbfounded that such cruelty could be done to someone else in the same village. Nodding in agreement Shino said, "Its disgraceful and disgusting. Why, because no matter what the person who lives here may or may not have done such actions go against the ideas and beliefs of the village."

Kurenai was in agreement and felt a cold anger at the villagers surge through her veins. Was this something that was truly allowed. The cruel words declaring Naruto a demon and wishing for his death was one thing but her trained eyes could see that the property damage wasn't due to age but rather had clearly been vandalized rather recently. She was sure that attacking the home of a shinobi was a clear violation of the village laws and could have one imprisoned for at least fifty years. Eventually her attention turned to focused on a very uncertain Naruto.

"Hokage-sama said he stopped repairing this building at Naruto request. How long has this child been forced to live under these conditions?" she wondered to herself turning her attention back at the cruel words on display for the world to see, "Was it always this bad? Did the villagers truly wish for him to simply disappear and die?"

Then it hit her. All the numerous medical treatments and care that were recorded in his file might not have been do to excessive training but something far more unthinkable. Where those accounts of accidents that put the boy in the hospital as a child... where they actually intentional? While Kureani did see Naruto as the host for the Kyuubi and didn't hold any love for the beast she could still differentiate between Naruto and the Kyuubi. Yet could the rest of the village not differentiate between the two. Or better yet did they wish to?

As Kurenai questioned this it suddenly occurred to her as she looked at Naruto concerned expression. The reason why he seemed preoccupied for weeks as well as why he seemed like he was on the verge of panicking where he stood with his teammates.

"That was it wasn't it..." she muttered to herself. "Naruto... you've been struggling to figure out which of the two you really are and are worried about Shino and Hinata finding out about the fox."

It was now making sense. Something so simply as Naruto is the host and not the Kyuubi, a fact she understood, but for a child who was rejected and ignored throughout his life, such a fact wouldn't have been simple and easy to see. That must have been the reason why he seemed distant at times. Naruto's childhood must have been horrible and might very well have shattered his identity. Even if he retained his identity the cruelty of the village would still weigh heavily on a child. Such a fate would naturally mean that the opinions of his friends would resonate strongly with who he thought he was and impact him greatly.

Seeing for the first time a glimpse of the true Naruto she clapped her hands and put on the most professional face she could muster as she directed, "Alright Team this building isn't going to fix itself. Lets see how well you three putting your skills to use." After giving each of them a task she watched them work hoping that she hadn't misinterpreted the missions true intention.

Grabbing a sponge Naruto created several clones and proceeded to clean the graffitti from the walls while having half of his clones work on the roof. He glanced over at Hinata who was standing a fair distance away using her byakugan to check the internal structure of the building for any potential faults or structural weaknesses that would require repair. He didn't see where Shino went but even if he did Naruto's mind was stuck on a treadmill.

Internally he was panicking and had been racking his mind trying to figure a way out of the worst case scenario. He didn't know what his teammates would think or do if they knew that he was the person who lived here. He especially didn't want them to know or find out why he was hated or that he was the villages most hated resident. Lost in thought Naruto jumped slightly as Shino spoke to him. At some point the Aburame had appeared beside him and was assisting in cleaning the wall of graffiti.

"The tenant who lives here... it's you right?"

Naruto remained silent and didn't answer as he simply focused on his job. The lack of an answer didn't stop Shino however who continued by saying, "Forgive me but I was curious as to who was the source of such scorn from the village and came to that hypothesis. While I have no sound evidence to support the claim from your reactions and the strange phrasing of this mission given to us from Hokage-sama I am lead to believe you are this buildings inhabited. And judging from the state of the other rooms in this complex, it's sole inhabitant."

Taking in Naruto's reactions Shino could tell that something, some truth was terrifying him. So far Naruto's silence continued as he worked yet to Shino it was a confirmation that his hypothesis wasn't wrong.

"I don't know why the village would direct so much hatred towards you but its clearly been the case for a long time. Why, because the Hokage mention it as such. Hokage-sama stated that you have been fixing these damages for the past four years." Shino paused as he stopped scrubbing the wall. "How frequently does this happen?"

It was a simple question asked out of concern and compassion but he received no answer as Naruto remained quite. Shino sighed internally before he began scrubbing the kanji for die off the wall. "I don't know why they hate you, but I know you haven't done anything to deserve this. Why, because while you may be a prankster and troublemaker you have never harmed anyone or acted out of spite. Not only that, but Ino and Mikon would not support you so full-heartedly and defend you if you where truly worthy of the scorn written here. While I can't say anything in regards to your past these few days I've been with you have shown me that you are a hard working and talented ninja who values his friends and something you carry, some burden, terrifies you and prevents you from accepting Hinata and myself as your teammates...at least not completely." As Shino finished speaking he also finished removing the kanji for die from the wall. Turning he faced Naruto and pausing for a moment waited to see if Naruto would respond to anything he had just said. After a moment had passes Shino turned and returned to his mission in silence.

At the same time Hinata was making her way through the complex checking each room's pluming as during her overall observations she spotted several points of water damage to the main support structures. Checking each room she was surprised that all of the damage was due to damages to the water tower on the room but figured it wouldn't hurt to be careful and check all of the plumbing.

Her attention however was shattered away from her scan of the buildings plumbing as she stood in front of a door on the top floor near the end of the open walkway. Inside was the only room with furniture and oddly enough was the only room that showed signs that anyone had lived here for years. Checking the door she found it was opened. While there was a lock it seemed to have been broken recently from metal fatigue. Concerned that it might have been due to the damages she was about to write it down as something to fix before a photograph caught her attention.

Knowing internally that it was wrong Hinata walked into the apartment. She couldn't help it. Logically it was wrong as she was entering someone else's house but still she walked slowly. She was drawn, captivated, enraptured by the picture that sat long forgotten stuck in the wall behind and between the bed and night stand next to it. A lone picture which seemed to not have been moved from many years. Pulling it carefully from the wall Hinata looked at the image not sure to believe what she was looking at.

In her hand was a picture of five people. The background was that of the forest she had once comforted Naruto in four years ago. At the front was Ino and Naruto both mimicking each others piece signs with huge grins on their faces. Behind them was Lord Jiraiya grinning happily while placing a comforting hand on the shoulders of Ino and Naruto. Behind him laughing maniacally was Mikon wrapped up and dangling from the large tree behind them like a bagworm. It was a warm and heart tugging photo of good times if not for the large swath of blood which stained across the entire left side of the picture covering some of Jiraiya and a great deal of Ino.

Wondering why such a picture was here and noticing several seals and shirts that belonged to Naruto she started to wonder. As her wonder turned to worry she raced out still clutching the picture as she flew down the stairwell. As she approached the area where Naruto was she stopped behind the wall. She listened as Shino stood beside Naruto and listened to Shino's inquiry to Naruto's situation. As Shino talked she watched as Naruto's silence did little to express the vast array of fear and emotions that ran through him. She watched the slight twitches and movements that one would normal miss unless they where from the Hyuuga Clan. Having been raised in a clan where the slightest shift in features was the most one would gain in terms of emotional expression to she was able to pick up the complexity of worries and concerns that plagued Naruto. Unsure what to do and the extended silence present between them Hinata wondered if she shouldn't say anything. After all she shouldn't ask about the problems of other less she open a wound better left closed. Before she could make up her mind Naruto suddenly broke the silence that remained after him explaining why he believed Naruto wasn't opening up to them.

"Usually twice a week." Shino looked over at Naruto as he answered his earlier question. "The villagers and some shinobi vandalize this place usually twice a week. Its been that way ever since I moved in here."

Shino nodded in understanding and notice Hinata hiding behind the wall. He wondered at what point she had arrived and how much of their conversation she had heard. Naruto who was still oblivious simply stared at the wall as he continued, "I can't say why they hate me but I've been wondering if they where right... that I am a demon..."

"You're not a demon Naruto!" Hinata shouted out burst from around the corner. Naruto would have been surprised by the sudden outcry but the thick heavy emotions that seemed to ooze around him hindered his mind from really recognizing Hinata's sudden appearance. He shook his head as if she had been there all the while as he said, "You don't know that." The atmosphere tensed and soaked up the light around them. The shadows from Naruto's bangs covered his eyes reflect the inner grief that consumed him at having those near him learning about him.

To everyone present it felt like time itself was mocking them as it stubbornly stood still elongating the heavy tone the conversation had taken. To Naruto it in a sense had simply stopped as he imagined his world, his image, and his hope for being with Shino and Hinata collapsed around him. This sudden collapsed ceased as Hinata calmly spoke three words.

"I do know."

Her words were filled with compassion and heartache as Naruto expressed the collapsed of the world he wanted to admit was still possible. That by not telling them anything about himself and smiling he could befriend them without getting too close. Hinata's statement however told him that even now she still wanted to befriend him. As she continued speaking a slight crack of light breached into his heart as he struggled to believe that befriending them was still possible. 

"I've watched you for a long time and I know your not a demon."

Naruto shook his head as he continued to doubt her words, as the experience four years ago had brought that truth into question. "Even so I hurt Ino." he replied. As he recalled the memory he muttered out his inner most fear that prevented him from truly opening himself to his team. "Four years ago Ino and I were attacked by an enemy shinobi. She was attacked because she associated with me and during that attack I blacked out. When I awoke I found Ino nearly dead in my arms, my hands covered... in her blood... her wounds... I... hurt her." Naruto nearly choked on his words as tears started to come out of his eyes. At that moment for the first time by speaking it aloud he had acknowledged the truth he had desperately been trying to deny. That in the end it was his hands that hurt Ino.

Shino placed a hand on his teammates shoulder. "It was not your intention. Why? Because Naruto, you said so yourself. You blacked out. You did not intend to harm Ino. As such you are not a monster. Nor a demon as the words written here define you as. What I see is a comrade who fears that he might hurt another comrade. Such a person could never be a heartless monster. Those who say it is true are wrong and we will stay by you to help you prove them wrong."

"Shino's right," Hinata chimed in her mood hopeful after seeing Naruto slowly opening his heart to them, "Even if for some reason you hurt us we'd never blame you for it let alone want you to distance yourself. We're a team."

Reaching her arms around him, reminded of the time she comforted him under the old tree she embraced Naruto. As she did so she noticed the sudden spike in tension within him at her touch fade as he last strand of doubt faded away at her words. "And teams stick by each other and help their teammates whenever they can. We're your friends Naruto-kun, no matter what we'll stick with you."

As Naruto broke down, tears cascading down his face, he thanked Shino and Mikon in his heart for staying by him dispite his fears and concerns.

Walking up behind them Kurenai appeared and handed Naruto what appeared to be a black chunin vest with orange highlights around the waist, arms and neck guard. On the back a red spiral mark representing the Uzumaki was present. Slight differences where present such as a much more pronounced and thick insulation of padding that covered the entire vest not just where the pouches would have been. It also appeared to be made of a much heavier material. Naruto looked at it before he stared confused at his sensei. Smiling Kurenai spoke as she waited for him to grab a hold of her gift.

"Naruto, If you ever doubt yourself, if you ever lose track of yourself, it is during those times that you should let those close to you help you out. If you leave them behind or distance yourself from them, than you hurt them as much as you hurt yourself. There are people who accept you for who you are and care about you. You may doubt yourself right now but I know that Konoha's future Hokage will be the type of person who stands proudly at the ready to defend those he cares about."

Reaching out Naruto grabbed her present and sucked in ever drop of encouragement that she gave him. For that moment, the shadow of doubt, the fear of being a monster... was gone if only for that moment. Naruto felt that after today he would never be as concerned about the Kyuubi again. While Kurenai he wasn't sure what she meant about him doubting himself he knew that he wouldn't have to doubt himself ever with his teammate's by his side.

As Kurenai back up she watched on as Shino stood over Naruto as he clutched Kurenai's gift while Hinata who was now smiling happily next to him wiped away her own tears at the liberated sensation Naruto was now giving off. For the first time she felt the true completion of her team. Team 8 was now finally formed.

In the background Hiruzen and Jiraiya watched on silently.

"It's good to see your idea worked out so well." Hiruzen muttered.

"Well considering how much I'm paying for this D rank mission to happen it better had done the trick." Jiraiya teased quietly. "With this Naruto should begin to open up to Hinata and Shino. While I doubt he'll spill the beans on the you know what, I'm sure given time Naruto will finally be able to move pass that night four years ago."

Hiruzen smiled, quietly nodding in agreement.

 **WORST CHAPTER EVER... and I'm not even sure why. DON'T CARE MOVING ON. Classes have just started back up and I this chapter has had two months of development time- time to move on. I'll come back to re edit it at some later date.**

 **Key pointers, Jiraiya is sticking around for good, why, several reasons. Can you name them all? Yes he is concerned for Naruto's well being however many plot events in this story give reason for him to leave Naruto in the village. With the latest events pulling him back to Naruto's side. What has he been doing dragging Mikon with him for the last four years? I'll probably get to that next year... maybe... I don't know... soooooo.**

" **How soon?"**

 **Shut up Dark Helmet and we'll see.**

 **Yes I put in a really touching Hinata scene... loving it but something felt WAY off when writing it and I'm pretty sure its not caused by my headache right now. Kurenai got Naruto a replacement jacket. No its not chunin but similar to the Flak jacket in design being much heavy in appearance and possessing sleeves. Yes Naruto's appearance kinda resembles Shikamaru's except the grey undershirt is now of the same thickness and weight of the chunin vest if you can imagine that. Will probably go into detail as to how it looks in next Chapter.**

 **Seriously I don't know why I hate this chapter. The premise I love but... who knows... maybe its how I wrote it.**

 **MOVING ON FOR REALZ. Chapter 9 is in the final stages of editing and is turning out a lot better then this one IMHO. Need to remind myself to add Naruto's description with his new jacket. This special chapter is brought to you by my birthday. Yay my birthday. My insurance company has decided to gift me with taking away my insurance... -_- forgot I'm 25 now. Well time to avoid cutting off my limbs less I go into debt, yay adult stuff.**

 **In hindsite my birthdays kinda suck. Not only am I older nothing really good happens. Yet here I am laughing away like I'm watching Colin Mochrie at my own suffering.**

 **Well time to drink my problems away.**

 **Old Man: "don't you need alcohol to do that?"**

 **Nope I said I'm drinking my problems away. That's why I'm drinking Soda. I may have 99 problems but Alcohol ain't one of them. Coka Cola might be one though. I'm rambling again, curse these soda highs.**

 **Next up, Chapter 9 :: Seven vs Eight**

 **coming soon, literally on the 30th the Saterday after this one. Hope you enjoy.**

 **-White**


	9. Chapter 9

**THIS IS THE DISCLAIMER READ IT YOU FOOLS: I do not own Naruto.**

 **Me: No duh why are these things even needed. Its a Fanfiction, its in the name. The Author/Owner can't be a fan damnit. Enjoy the Story based off someone else's multi-million dollar success. +best**

 **Chapter 9** **:: Seven vs Eight**

 **-Somewhere Underground-**

Toshiro grasped his armored partner's gauntlet even tighter as he made his way down the brightly lit cavern path. At the very least the organization had listened to his advice to invested in some lighting for the treacherous path into the cavern. The deep Cavern was dangerous enough alone with all the traps that had been littered all over the place without the lack of lighting making things more difficult.

The path was carved out into the side of a deep underground fissure that plummeted straight down into the depths of the earth. Only a small out cove carved into the rock face along the surface provided a means of descending down into the depths without plummeting to ones fate. A single man limestone like path looked to be unnatural, yet a skilled geologist would fined no trace of any human interference in its making. The path while unnatural would appear to their eyes to have been formed directly by the earth itself.

Hell the company alone was dangerous enough. Quickly checking on said company, Toshiro made sure that she was fallowing his footsteps exactly. While he understood his duty and why he was assigned to her it didn't mean he had to like it. After all he was the only one capable of stopping her once she began running berserk.

Toshiro recalled the last time she had nearly lost control and snickered as he remembered the pleasure he felt as he watched the strange frog man hybrid take out his annoying comrade. While losing two potential candidates for the positions of Kyohi and Kūhaku was a set back to the organization, the last thing he wanted was to have to work with people like them. God forbid having to be associated with them.

While Zangai was a proudful loud mouth who did have the talent for the position of Kyohi, the man had been nothing but talk lacking in both skill and brains. And while he didn't know the name of the person who was set to take the title of Kūhaku, Toshiro was with him on the road long enough to know that he hated the boasting creep. Had the leaf not killed him themselves four years ago Toshiro was sure he'd have frozen the bastard the moment he saw him.

Toshiro shivered in disgust as he recalled how the creepy faceless man went on and on about how many women he had killed and possessed over the years. His method of doing so just as creepy as it got. His jutsu allowed him to invade the minds of his victims and haunting the backs of their dreams he slowly drove them insane till they killed themselves leaving behind a perfect new younger body. Toshiro didn't know whether he should feel pity or thankful to the body of the man he had currently possessed seeing as the man in question had been into drag and had successfully tricked the "man" into possessing him.

Approaching a long flight of descending marble stairs Toshiro smiled as he saw the stone carved outcroppings and knew at the very least he was in the right place.

"Looks like the blind princess is going to be here... great." he said with a hint of sarcasm. If she was here it likely meant the other members would be too. Continuing the decent into the depths of the cavern he reached the bottom of the fissure. There the walls became more designed and less organic. Not carved by hand but rather seemed to be molded by shifting earth. A large series or Parthenon arches marked the gate to the organizations meeting hall giving the bottom of the cavern a fresh but ancient appeal. The Arches and gate, carved from the Fissure's hard wall stood imposingly and proud.

Walking up to the gate Toshiro gazed at it as he wondered exactly who built what he assumed was a temple so deep underground. While he stood there the black armored knight stepped past him and pushed the massive stone doors that made up the gate wide open. Following after his, thankfully quiet, partner inside Toshiro released a flash flood of ice to his left stopping a large crimson spear from piercing through his head just inches from his temple.

Not the least bid surprised by the unorthodox greeting, Toshiro didn't even flinch as he greeted his assailant, "Nice to see you too, Jiyū."

A carefree laugh greeted Toshiro's standoffish attitude as a man dressed in a tight brown spandex and semi-tight fitting tan combat kimono retracted his spear. Toshiro observed the man carefully. While the man wore what many would call a strange assortment of wears he could admire the purpose that each article had to the mans style. On his limbs the loose sleeves of the kimono which were bound tightly to his arms by an array of light-armor plating similar to those usually warn by samurai. The lower half of the kimono had been fashionably removed so that it wouldn't inhibit leg movement. The tight body spandex while making up the majority of his outfit had several iron plate sheets that added more protection while not inhibiting movement or flexibility. The material of the spandex wasn't light either as it was made of a flexible but strong leather like material. Despite it's thickness and slight bulk the attire did little to hide the fit body underneath it all as the man's muscle cut a strict form from underneath. The only thing he couldn't understand the purpose of was the crimson scarf that dangled from his neck leaving a twin trail of dancing blood red streamers floating in his wake.

His face was that of a young man around and couldn't be older then twenty seven years. His skin was a light brownish and was the only trait that identified anything about his life before joining the organization. After all one couldn't get that kind of permanent tan without living ones entire childhood unprotected in the desert sands. Then again his most defining feature was clearly that of his vibrant blue hair which couldn't possibly be normal anywhere.

The man smiled cheekily as he responded with a happy-go-lucky grin, "Sure is squirt. Sorry bout the surprise attack. Heard you got defeated by an old man four years ago and some brat. Just wanted to make sure you weren't loosing your edge, Shi (死)." The man smiled as he gracefully disappeared and reappeared just outside the range of Toshiro's ice as a massive iceberg or sharp spikes materialized from the ground surrounding Toshiro clearly aimed at Jiyū the moment he said the name "Shi".

"For the last time I refuse to be called by my title!" Toshiro shouted, enraged and anger burning in his eyes, Clear disdain for the name reflected from his voice around the room.

Hopping down from his perch the Spear wielding man laughed. "Yeah, yeah. And we aren't even going to mention how I called you squirt right?" he said with a taunting wink. A taunt while tempted to respond to Toshiro ignored.

"In the first place neither of us like to be called by our titles so if you don't want to be called Shi, I suggest you do me the honors as well."

Toshiro sighed as he had given up on forcing the man to stop calling him shrimp. At the very least the man never meant any harm and simply enjoyed teasing him. Even so Toshiro could admire the mans skill and morals. "Yeah, sorry about that Lancer." Toshiro stated cooling his own temper as he walked across the room. It was true while he could work with Lancer, the man was still difficult to keep up with. Scanning the room he could see the form of six figures including his own partner and lancer's.

"So where's this new guy? Weren't we all called back to report and be introduced to someone?" Toshiro asked as he noticed he didn't see any new faces. Reaching a spot where a stalagmite stood he releasing a burst of ice that surrounded the calcium formation, creating a very spiky throne for him to sit on.

As he spoke he noticed that his partner Fukushū had taken position to his left sitting atop one of the larger stalagmites in the room. Continuing around the circular meeting hall he could see the outlines of another paring of Misuteru (見捨てる) and Ai (愛).

Misuteru was a short girl who looked about twelve years of age and sported a standard Iwa uniform usually worn by their chunin. She wore a green sash around her chest that reached around her waist where an oni mask dangled off of. On her arms and legs where Konoha Anbu gauntlets and shinguard boots bother of which had been modified to leave her palms and soles of her extremities exposed.

Ai on the other hand was clocked in a shroud of what appeared to be black sand. Toshiro knew better having done some research and found out that it was actually black ashes that enveloped her form. The only physical feature he could see was the gauntlets that where similar to the ones Misuteru wore except unmodified. Toshiro always assumed that Misuteru received her legs and arm wear form him but never did confirm it. Other wise the man's appearance and personality was a mystery as he never talked only nodding or shacking his head which was hidden by the shroud of black ash.

Shifting his gaze again he saw Lancer's partner Gisei (犠牲), an olive skinned women with assets large enough for one to sail with. They where held in place by a tightly gripping white jacket which effectively covered her lower face and nose. Her messy sun kissed blonde hair reminded Toshiro of his own unruly do it not a bit longer in length. Her hair if let down would normally reach her cheeks with the exception of the two locks that framed the sides of her face and the long braided ponytail that reach her lower back. The jacket she wore completely covered her arms and hands. The sleeves hung loosely at her sides in a similar fashion to a Kimono. Even with the White Jacket and a white Hakama, her outfit did nothing to cover her midriff and chest which lead to her perfect hourglass form.

Toshiro closed his eyes to rest having seen all individuals present. Since he didn't see the leader of the organization present he figured he could use the time to get a little shut eye. Lancer however had other plans as he leaned against the frozen throne.

"So, heard anything about this new guy joining us?" Lancer asked though seeing that Toshiro was basically ignoring him shrugged and continued talking. "From what I hear he's going to be taking the title of Kūhaku (空白)."

Lancer grinned as he knew that little tidbit would get the Ice child's attention.

"Are you sure of that? Is this new recruit really going to take the title of Kūhaku?" Toshiro asked nearly leaping out from his seat.

Shrugging Lancer continued, "Hell if I know. This just what I hear from Gisei. She was here long before I returned since unlike you I don't have to babysit my partner. But yeah this new guy is suppose to have all the qualities needed to fill the role from what she heard."

Toshiro ignored the teasing grin as he focused his gaze on Gisei.

"If her info is accurate, than perhaps this meeting won't be a complete waste of time." Toshiro thought to himself. Most meetings between the title wielders were usually held to inform the members of the organization's plans and motives as well as informing them of how far the group had progressed and where it stood.

That was the odd thing about the organization, each member had their own reason for joining yet had no real interest towards the organization's end goal. In Shingetsu, the organization only asked that the members fulfill missions given to them and in exchange would provide them with all the support they needed to achieve their own goals. And unlike the Akatsuki which was growing in strength rapidly, Shingetsu did not provide protection for it's members nor did it have a central goal everyone worked towards. In truth it was a really strange and odd-ball organization.

However Toshiro knew that could very well be due to the fact they lacked the eight members they supposedly needed. If it was the question remained as to why the Boss in charge was gathering such powerful individuals.

That was the strange thing about Shingetsu, its lack of clarity. Secrecy was a major aspect of the group and for the most part all it's members kept their identies secret as well as their goals.

Toshiro didn't know much about the other members but he did know that Lancer simply sought out missions that were challenging. Gisei sought to end the life of the one who killed her former self, whatever that meant. And than their was Fukushū.

Thinking of his black armored partner, Toshiro couldn't help but feel a ping of pity as her predicament was similar to his own a long time ago. Her desire was to return to being "normal". After being turned into a mindless killing weapon she had endured as her mind broke down due to many torturous years of solitude and darkness.

Recalling the ice prison that he himself had been placed in all those years ago Toshiro shivered both from the memory and the hatred he held for his former clan. In that one aspect he was glad that his clan was extinct. At least he would have been if not for the sole fact that thanks to the organization's appearance he was made aware that a sole survivor of his clan was alive as well as the cruel fate that befell them.

Hearing the sound of the inner sanctuary doors opening Toshiro broke his thoughts and stared at the... man? In hindsight Toshiro didn't actually know if the Leader was a male or female especially since the clothing they wore didn't give much of an hint let alone an answer. Despite the lack of evidence Toshiro was certain their boss was male.

The man descended to the center of the room almost as if floating, untouched by the ground beneath him. The Priestess style kimono was shrouded by the large sky white cloak that seem to float or hang from the his body. Surrounding the cloak were three violet translucent ribbons that levitated around the bosses arms and head seemed to fad in and out of existence. Toshiro had seen the ribbons purpose before and knew they weren't as harmless as they appeared. But the most eye catching feature was his white hair and eyes which practically glowed when compared to his pale skin tone. Staring at him made one think of an other worldly being. Toshiro had heard of legends of the moon race who lived up in the heavens and was always reminded of the legends whenever he met with the "boss".

Standing in the center of the room the mystical figure turned to face Toshiro and without showing any emotion spoke with a calm and captivating voice. "I'm glad to see you've returned to us, bearer of the title Shi, Toshiro. While the loss of both candidates was a great loss I trust in your judgment that they were not worth of our time." he stated with an empty expression.

"If the boss ever took up poker he'd make a killin." Lancer whispered behind him. Toshiro however ignored Lancer as the bearer of the title Uranai continued his emotionless speech. "While they might not have been worthy, their talents are still at a loss. As such I hope you did not return empty handed."

Glaring at the questionably gender-less leader, Toshiro snapped back slightly irritated, "You're saying that because I let those two die, I should have something to make for it? That I should compensate for the loss? How about your end of the deal. While completing my objective, while also judging those idiots as candidates, your organization has failed to keep its end of the bargain in providing me with intelligence."

While glaring at the leader Toshiro felt a slight shiver course through his spine. For a brief moment Toshiro felt like he would be killed but held his ground knowing he was treading on thin ice as it was. The important fact was that he had done his job and yet to be compensated for it. If he didn't put his foot down now he wouldn't know if he should stay in the organization or not. After all in exchange for his power, they would provide him with intel and leads towards his only desire.

The tension between the two dropped as Uranai nodded in acknowledgment. As he spoke he seemed to be pleased by Toshiro's stubbornness though it was anyone's guess really. "Indeed we have yet to show the support we have promised you. However it would do to reward the gardener for growing a tree that hasn't produced fruit. We have and will keep our end of the deal in regards to your joining us. After all you would not know of the girls existence if not for us. Now tell us what benefits came from out insignificant loss?" When Uranai finished speaking all eyes focused on Toshiro.

Relenting Toshiro let out the breath he had been holding. It flash freeze as it made contact with the chilled air that he unintentionally created during the tense moment. Toshiro knew that if he wanted to have any hope of finding the last member of his clan he needed their help. In the end he did require their assistance so for now he relented but Toshiro mentally told himself this would be the last time he acted without being compensated for his work.

"Not sure if it's considered good but I came in contact with the girl you warned me about. That Mikon girl you know?" Toshiro answered knowing that this knowledge was of great importance to the organization and Uranai.

For the first time since Toshiro had met him, he saw the first glimpse of emotion, Fear and Joy. Uranai features where shadowed by his ribbons as they moved to cover his face. Uranai spoke slowly at first his voice shaking before it returned to its usual bland tone, "I see that is most... fortunate. Tell me what where your impressions of her?"

Thinking for a moment Toshiro shook his head be saying, "Couldn't say, I'm not sure it was even her but from how she made that boasting bastard vulnerable I'm pretty sure it was her. You said your friend, what was his name? Zetsubō? You told us to be mindful of a powerful blond who lacked the powers of a sage but carried the blood of one. Considering who her adoptive farther is she does seem to be possible that I encountered the genuine article you warned us about."

Staring unemotionally back at him, Uranai made no motion of displeasure with the information he was given leaving Toshiro to believe that he was no long on the spot. Still in the back of his mind while he was certain the girl he met four years ago was the girl they where looking for, something about her just seemed off to Toshiro.

Speaking up to confirm his doubts Toshiro asked, "Spealing of which the prophecy Zetsubō gave us... this Mikon is suppose to be human right?"

Receiving a nod of acknowledgment Toshiro pondered for a bit more. That night Toshiro felt the powerful chakra present in both Mikon and the one called Jiraiya. While Jiraiya gave off a the feeling of a powerful toad more so then a powerful human during their conflict, Mikon didn't feel entirely human. She felt similar to an Iwa Shinobi he was encounter. Han was powerful to be sure but lacked control over his power causing waves of tension to seep into the chakra he released. Mikon however was clearly not a Jinchuuriki as she lack both that tension of conflicting chakra and the presence of a second entity within her. However the feeling he felt from her was unsettling because to him it felt like she was chakra given the shape of a human girl while. A feat that should be impossible since such compact and dense chakra would burn away the flesh off in a similar manner a roman cup would be melted should it hold molten iron.

"Toshiro."

Toshiro snapped out from his trance to focus back on Uranai. Seeing that he had Toshiro's attention Uranai turned and moved out of the way to gesture at the spot where he had stood. In the now vacant spot the shadows of the room gathered and started to take the shape of wisps of fire. Taking from from the wisps of shadows, the figure of a cloaked man materialized before all present.

The man's arms where wrapped up in numerous grayish-white bandages that seemed to have been worn for many years if the state of disarray was anything to go by. He wore a black shirt and drak grey chunin vest. A hakama similar to Gisei's was barely visible from beneath his large black cloak. Like most of his outfit the hakama was also black in color. Black bandages covered his face only revealing a pair of piercing red eyes. He wore a mizu forehead protector with navy blue straps tight back which dangled down to back of his shoulders. His spiky hair hair was a dark shade of olive blue and seemed to be frozen in place defying gravity.

"Who's this punk?" Lance asked twirling his red spear through the air and resting it on his shoulders. His body started to expel chakra as if tell all that he was itching to fight the newcomer. A fact which Toshiro wasn't surprised in the slightest about. Anyone brought here would be strong and that meant Lancer would want a taste of the action. He wasn't going to deny his curiosity about the individual either since he knew nothing about this individual who clearly had a fetish for the color black.

Not leaving those present in suspense Uranai spoke, "All me to introduce you to Kurokiri, our newest member who will carry the vacant title of Kūhaku. As you all know, this means the role of intelligence gathering and infiltration specialist is now filled."

Toshiro got up from where he sat and made his way to leave the hall. He had enough of wasting time to meet a newb who barely gave off a presence aside from his weird appearance. This gathering was to report and meet the boss, both tasks done and his patience gone Toshiro made his way to leave.

"Fukushū, we're leaving." He called out causing the black knight to follow after him. Turning his head to Uranai Toshiro coldly said, "As instructed I came and saw the new guy, if we're done I'm leaving. I have someone to find so unless its the intelligence you promised me, don't interrupt my search." Stopping he released a blast of ice. The cold wind forced the large doors to the exit to open. Turning around he finished coldly, "Or so help me I'll freeze you for eternity for using me as a mere tool."

Uranai nodded and made a gesture that he could leave. Before he could leave however the new member, Kuhaku spoke up. Speaking with a tone of dissatisfaction and boredom he said almost hazily, "Head to the Land of Waves. The one called Haku Yuki is currently working under the one called Zabuza Momochi. Rumors have it they will appear in that location under the protection of one called Gato."

Toshiro looked over his shoulder with a cold glare that screamed, ready to kill. Un-intimidated Kūhaku continued, "The one called Zabuza and the one called Haku are currently in hiding from the Anbu of the Mist. They have made contact with members of Gato and have turned them away. They will be forced to give in as their wounds will force them to comply in exchange for protection."

Figuring Uranai wouldn't betray him here and that his silence was confirmation enough for the intels validity Toshiro made no show of acknowledgment as he contained walking off the massive doors closing behind the icy hunter and black warrior.

Smiling with a big grin Lancer shouted happily as he made ready to attack his own pray, "Well that was fun, but I want to know is how powerful you really are."

Spinning his long red spear and taking a charging stance low to the ground Lancer declared, "So what say you and I have a little fun, Kūhaku." His large grin at the prospect of a new 'play mate' dropped as Uranai stood in front of him, informing him interrupting his charge as he informed Lancer of his new assignment. "Lancer... going off your actions when you first met Gisei, you intend to seek out a challenge by fighting Kuhaku. However time is not on your side. I need you to seek out an indivicual by the name of Deidara."

Lancer clearly disappointed squatted down in boredom after having his prey denied to him. "So~o what? You want me to what, kill him? Catch him? Talk to him? Who's this Deidara guy anyway?" As he talked Lancer let his red spear rest on his shoulder. He hadn't had the chance to fight a challenging opposite and most of the guys he was sent to where evil vile men who might as well been made of wet rice paper. While he didn't mind killing such folk the ones he really wanted to fight where men of honor who valued an enemies strength and challenge others to improve themselves. Fights like those where the best. "Whoever this Deidara guy is must be another good for nothing punk" Lancer thought depressingly.

"He is as you think however he is an S-rank criminal. More importantly his objective is now the opposite of our own organization's. Seek him out and learn what you can about the one named Deidara. The only intel we know about Akatsuki's newest member is that he hails from the Land of Earth. This is important to us as those who align themselves with Akatsuki will eventually become a threat to us. And if you so wish you can fight him as you please. Naturally if you can kill him you are free to do so." Uranai explained.

With a grin returning to his face Lancer stood up and said, "Well I guess I can work with that. Who knows maybe the bastard might put up a bit of a challenge. So? Where can I find the bastard?"

-Hokage Manor-

"A mission to Iwa? Hokage-sama are you sure that's a good idea. I mean sure the three of them have done plenty of D rank missions and are ready but isn't a mission to Iwa's border a little bit much?"

Kurenai asked fearing the potential dangers of sending a squad of genin so close to the Leaf's most recent enemy. The last great Shinobi war was still fresh in the minds of many and knew that many Iwa shinobi continued to cultivate their grudges. Hell she would bet all of her salary that many of them were down right hostile towards the leaf itself and would attack if given the chance.

Exhaling the smoke from his pipe Hiruzen tried to easy the jounin's worries. "Even though it says border patrol if you read the details it's actually a simple grab and return mission. I want your team to retrieve the report from the border patrol near the Land of Stone and to return here with it. It's a simply mission and there is little to no chance of being attacked minus the occasional bandit group. It should pose no trouble. I'll leave the choice to you but it's the only a C rank mission and I feel it is safe enough to hand over to your team, otherwise I wouldn't want your team to do it."

While his words did ease her worries Kurenai still felt a nagging sensation in the back of her mind screaming at her. "How long do I have to make my decision before you give it to someone else. I do agree that this mission would be perfect for those three but..."

She drifted off leaving her sentence open ended to which Hiruzen smiled understanding completely.

"I can give you two weeks. For now I suggest you do your best to train those three so that they will be ready for whatever comes their way." Hirazen replied to which Kurenai acknowledge with a bow before leaving.

Hiruzen looked down at the mission in question and had to admit Kurenai was on to something. After all she wasn't the only one getting ominous vibes from the mission in question.

In the shadow of a tree overlooking Konoha's hotspring baths a sneeze gave away the location of two perverts.

 **-5th Training Ground-**

Naruto charge at Shino for the umpteenth time only to be thoroughly countered with a shoulder throw. Landing hard on the ground Naruto laid there on his back dazed by the impact. The match was concluded with Shino successfully drawing his Kunai up against the blond's neck.

Stepping away having won Naruto continued to lay down reflecting on his umpteenth defeat.

"Damnit! I lost again."

Swearing intensely at the blue sky Naruto relaxed his arms and legs, letting the no long tense limbs land on the soft earth. Relaxing he looked up at his sparing partner. Reaching the hand offered to him Naruto smiled.

"Damn Shino, why are you so strong? That's the eighteenth time you've beaten me, dattebayo!" Naruto shouted as he regained his balance in front of his teammate.

"Nineteenth, Naruto. The reason is simple. As I fight you I work hard to become stronger and faster. I am forced to techniques while having to adapt to your constantly charging and unpredictable style. Why, because you are a tough opponent to take down Naruto and you are constantly becoming stronger too. Eventually you'll beat me and I must work hard to keep myself ahead of you." Shino said mutely.

Naruto was confused by his wording but smiled anyway. He could tell Shino was complementing him in his own way. It took some getting use to, but Shino wasn't as weird as Naruto originally thought, well aside from his bug obsession. Sure he talked strangely but other than that Naruto learned that Shino was just like him in some ways. To get to know him you just had to get past all the bad rep he and his clan apparently carried. After being on his team for the few months Naruto could now say confidently that he could call Shino one of his true friends.

Looking at Hinata Naruto saw that she was full rested again from their previous fight. Walking over to her he asked it she was up for another bout to which she shyly accepted. Even though she was still constantly red when interacting with him it no longer inhibited every day conversations. Naruto at this point also began wondering if if blushing was just her natural state since she seem to do it all the time.

Taking her fighting stance Naruto smiled as in the end he didn't care about that. Out of all the sparing matches he fought, between Ino, Shino, Ero-sennin, Hinata was his favorite to fight against. It was strange since he felt a greater sense of urgency to avoid her then anyone else. And fighting her made him feel like he was and could really improve. This was because fight her forced him to have to dodge and counter while forcing his technique to improve. Many of his long windups when attacking had disappeared completely and been replaced with tight well aimed strikes.

"Jiraiya-ojsan once told me that fight strong people can make you stronger... hehe... In that case Hinata's stronger the Shino" Naruto thought to himself, distracting himself just long enough to take a Jūken strike to his face.

Keeling over he missed Hinata's cry of concern over hurting him and Shino's shaking of his head having seen the distracted look on Naruto's face knowing full well his mind wasn't on the match.

Rolling back into his fighting stance Naruto readied himself again while shaking off the strike. Seeing that he was alright Shino continued to observe the match as Kurenai did from the shadows.

The jounin still found it incredible that Naruto was able to shake off a Hyuuga's strikes so easily. While some would call it dangerous to which Kurenai would agree, both members benefited greatly from the no holds spar. Since Hinata cherished Naruto and didn't want to hurt him, the matches forced her to confront someone who she cared about but didn't wish to disappoint. Since Naruto would be pissed off if she held back the contradiction forced her to fight at one-hundred percent against someone she liked. A feat which was slowly teaching her how to fight at a hundred present while keeping true to her kind hearted nature. An added bonus was that the Uzumaki was a natural living Jūken practice punching bag. Since the only way to combat the Juken style in close courters was through speed, dodging, and effective evasions Naruto was a natural enemy of the Juken style since he could respond to any strikes at the last second. Even when he didn't he simply recovered from whatever hit he took. Kurenai attributed this to his slowly increasing control over his erratic chakra though it was more likely due to the Kyuubi's influence inside of him.

On the other hand he was slowly learning combat tactics that didn't involve throwing himself into his opponent. Unlike with Shino, Hinata was recognized as a threat and Naruto took that image seriously. The blocking and countering style of the Hyuuga had essentially transformed Naruto over the last few months. His improve style born of being tough false Taijustu forms was now taking shape into a unheard of freestyle of fighting where he used his excessive stamina to out maneuver his target while breaking the flow of combat with umpredictable strikes using all of his body. 

Since it relied on his quick reflexes and stamina it was essentially Naruto's style that only a few could possibly pick up.

Still Kurenai found it insane that Naruto's chakra reserves where actually a hindrance to him. It did make sense in a way. While his stamina was practically limitless compared to everyone else, the boy's chakra was something else entirely. Whenever Naruto used his chakra the massive sum he possessed plus its erratic spikes and drops in power actually caused the boy to burn himself out.

When Kurenai began to teach them the tree climbing exercise she found it strange that despite Naruto being able to use Shadow Clones he had so much trouble regulating his own chakra for the exercise.

With some help from Hinata it was discovered out that when using chakra Naruto's chakra was competing with itself and thus unstable. Even more interesting was that Naruto's chakra was actually putting a huge amount of stress on his body and while his body could take the burden it still used up a lot of his stamina to compensate.

As she stepped forward she called out to them, "Alright you three gather roun-ouch..." she said wincing as her call distracted Naruto from another of Hinata's well timed full power strikes. Figuring she would never be quite comfortable seeing someone take such a hit at full power Kurenai went over to check on him, confident that he would be fine even without Hinata crouching over him in concern.

When the three gathered themselves and Naruto was confirmed to be alright everyone made themselves comfortable. Kurenai was almost proud at how they readied themselves for one of her lectures. Especially Naruto since she never expected the boy to sit still and listen to anyone. In the end she figured it was his trust she earned that produced such a result as he seemed to be enraptured by every word she would say.

"Alright you three, Team 8 has enough of basic D rank missions. With a total of 36 D ranked missions under your belts," she paused for dramatic flare as she held out her news, "and after talking with the Hokage, I have reserved a C rank mission for Team 8"

"ALRIGHT!" Naruto shouted jumping from his seat before quickly quieting down in shame as Kurenai gave him her infamous evil eye. Quiet again and gesturing his apologies he listened as Kurenai contained.

"However... I don't feel you three are ready quite yet so we will be training extra hard these next two weeks to see if you guys are up to it. Now while your individual skills are up to the task your team based skills and you roles on the team need work."

"Our roles?" Hinata asked unsure of what she meant.

"That right, I mentioned it once before Hinata, but in terms of one-on-one combat you're more skilled then Shino or Naruto and with your Byuakugan your role as a vanguard would be to not only spot the enemies presence but also to challenge it. That role is important since you will be setting the pace of the battle for both Shino and Naruto. While Naruto is able to ignore that pace and disrupt the enemy, Shino will be depending on your judgment during these times." Kurenai explained seeing that instead of wilting completely was bracing herself trying to accept the challenge she had place on her. Glancing at Naruto Kurenai was again amazed at the boy's influence on Hinata and how good of an impact he was on her. "Naturally that is just one role you could take up though given Team Eight's current skills it would be the most efficient role right now."

Turning to Shino Kurenai continued. "Shino your skills are neither fast nor slow but have a wide range. With a calm and clear head on your shoulder you have the skills to support and react to the enemy without disrupting your allies momentum. In essence you would be the teams pillar of support and regardless of what you do will result in being their center."

Shino made no gesture or movements but Kurenai knew that he understood her and was contemplating how he could help Hinata and Naruto.

Naruto was now pouting after hearing all of the cool roles and values Hinata and Shino could play. Not waiting for Kurenai to start lecturing him Naruto said, "And I'm the rear guard who's only helpful when we need to run." Kurenai thought it was cute how he was pouting but could understand why he was upset since Naruto was the type for acting and being helpful. He certainly wasn't the wait and think it out type.

"Naruto, while I have high hopes for your role as the rear-guard, you're value in combat and as a decoy is just as if not more important." Kurenai said drawing Naruto's attention once more. "decoy" he asked tilting his head to the side while squinting his eyes in confusion.

Hinata found the sight cute as she tried to focus on Kurenai's words. Shino who was also interested in his sensei's assessment of Naruto's talents also listened carefully.

"Naruto, as I said Shino is a mid to long range fighter while Hinata is best suited for one-on-one conflicts. In most cases you will find yourself fighting squads of four and even may even find yourselves fighting more then four enemies depending on the mission. Your role would be to distract and intercept the enemy so they can't surround or engage Shino and Hinata. This would be true regardless of if we are attacking or retreating. If you do it properly you'll make missions ten times easier for your teammates and get to fight tough opponents like you want. Doing so however requires an awareness of the battlefield you currently lack since stray jutsu or attacks can get pass you if you're not careful or paying attention."

Naruto soaked Kurenai's words in like a sponge and was beginning to understand how much broader his role on the team actually was. In essence he was like one of Mikon's summons. A powerful ally who could hold off enemy's so their summoner can pull off crazy attacks and combos.

Seeing Naruto go silent as his mind turned Kurenai nodded as she let the boy contemplate the depth his role would naturally entitle. Unlike Hinata and Shino who's skill sets left them in a rather ridged roles considering their current capabilities, Naruto's was the essential adaptive role. A role he would have to grow into and learn to preform properly. Where Shino and Hinata would only be required to improve their natural talents and gifts, Naruto would need to learn entire skill sets and gain combat experience to take up his role which had taken to heart.

Deciding to draw the lecture to a close so they could get to work she clapped her hands.

"Alright, now to get you all ready for to take on those roles we're going to practice specific drills against dummy targets to see how you three react, afterwards I think we can set up a team exercise with another squad to see..." She declared before drifting off as she noticed that Naruto was completely in his own little world and wasn't listening.

"Naruto...NARUTO!" She called out receiving no answer as the boy in question was lost in deep thought. Exasperated at the boys odd behavior she was caught off guard as Naruto quickly looked up and asked, "Sensei, in Fuinjustu there are jutsu that can capture an opponent and stop them from moving. That's a skill that would be really helpful for a decoy right?" His eagerness was nearly addictive as it left Kurenai unsure as to what was going through his head.

Nodding she admitted, "Well such a jutsu would be useful since your role is best played by avoiding fights rather then actually engaging in them."

Naruto's grin grew wider as he lept to his feet, "Sensei! I'm gonna be right back I need to get some things!" he shouted and before Kurenai could muster a word against him leaving watched as the energetic blond rushed off in heated pursuit of his unexplained idea.

Kurenai wasn't left in her state of confusion for long. After ten minutes had past the boy came charging back with an platoon of clones carrying a desk, seat cushions, and more books and scrolls then she figure the boy would know what to do with.

Sighing to herself she palmed her face at the boys actions.

Leave it to Naruto to not only leave her confused but to return and make her slack jawed as well. What in the world was going through the boys head?

Thankfully the sight of Jiraiya behind the squad of blond clones meant she could receive an answer to her state of confusion. "Lord Jiraiya what exactly..." was all she could muster before the self proclaimed pervert answered, "The kid had a spark of inspiration... or desire, not sure which... to master a new jutsu. Don't know which one but he's pretty adamant about mastering it."

As he watched Naruto get to work his lax grin turned serious as his childish persona of a pervert was replace by his hardened experience. The cold and hard whisper reminded Kurenai the the pervert that stood next to her was without a doubt a powerful ninja.

"A few weeks ago I introduced him to Time Space Fuin Ninjutsu since he seemed to have a talent for it, or at least a good grasp of it. About ten minutes ago he came to me and explained the idea in his head for a jutsu that creates a box that isolates a selected target. When I told him that his overall design was sound her rushed here taking my furniture and literature on Space Fuin Ninjutsu with him. Thus why I'm here and why he's appears to be setting up shop."

Kurenai understood everything so far and was about to try to get him to focus on his teammate but Jiraiya stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder. Shaking his head he quickly explained to her, "Best let him work his way to a stopping point. When he's this focused his brain get stuck like a perpetual hamster in a rolling ball. Once his heads in it you'll be hard pressed getting him to do anything else. Besides if he figures out how to make the Jutsu in his head it'll be one hell of an achievement. Take care of his teammates for now. Once he's blown his brain cell's out from over thinking, I'll drag him back over to you three. It shouldn't take long. Not with this many clones working at once."

Nodding Kurenai accepted her defeat since she wasn't sure how to deal with Naruto when he went into what Shino called Naruto's Fūin Trance. It wasn't the first time she had to deal with it but there where worse things then getting a Solo lesson on Fuinjutsu from one of the Sannin. She wondered exactly what came over Naruto or what she said exactly that put him in such a state.

Naruto's mind was racing like it was being pumped full of steroids. The image of a jutsu was stuck in his head. A cube that materialized around a target and cut of space, isolating and creating an alternative space withing specific set coordinates. At least that's how it he would explain it using the big words the Time Space Fūin Ninjutsu scrolls used. In Naruto's own words it was a box that cut you off from the world and trapped you inside.

Using all the Naruto clones he could make Naruto planned out his idea, He re-read all the scrolls he had read when Jiraiya taught him the topic and would go about breaking down the jutsu using the fragments that he would need to make the jutsu. If he didn't know what was needed he'd trust his gut and give it a shot.

Then finally he'd give it a shot, see what it felt like, and work on it from there. Trial by fire, crash and burn, wash-rinse-repeat. With each clone successfully popping back into his head Naruto could easily recall the information he had read. He was really upset he had forgotten that particular ability the clones had especially after learning of it four years ago. Then again that night was rough on him and he wasn't surprised he forgot they could share information.

With the last clone gone Naruto quickly took up a brush and start blueprinting his jutsu idea. He understood how it should work but the problems began with the application. Jiraiya related it to writing which made sense since that was what it essentially was. While Naruto understood the grammar and syntax he lacked the big words to put it together. Both aspects in said simile being important key factors in a fūinjutsu's activation.

" **Instead of using the fragment of the Hakke no Fūin Shiki use the Fūja Hōin as a base. The Hakke no Fūin Shiki is designed to allow cracks to form so as to leak the contents into its host, the Fūja Hōin will allow for a more solid foundation based on your will and chakra while not harming the contents of the seal."**

J/N: Reaper Death Seal : Evil Sealing Method

"Kyu? Hehe, didn't think you'd want to help with something you hate." Naruto said teasingly in reply to the Kyuubi's sudden suggestion.

" **Shut up, runt and don't call me by that name!** " The fox shouted from within the seal.

"Hey I don't like it when you call me human or runt so I'm not gonna call you Kyuubi. Besides you're the one who said suit yourself." Naruto said in response to the fox.

" **How bout Brat instead?"**

"How bout Furball instead?"

Naruto laughing internally as the fury the giant furball clashed against the seal restricting the unleashed fury of the Fox's agitation.

Naruto was rather surprised at how different the fox was. Thanks to Kurenai, Shino, and Hinata's support Naruto had confronted his demons, or demon in this case. Eventually Naruto and the Kyuubi had managed to come to an informal understanding not that Naruto realized it. Naruto showed respect and acknowledged the Kyuubi while the fox would be allowed to continue living in peace at least when his host didn't come into the mindscape to talk.

The strange feeling Naruto was left with after his first encounter with the fox lingered as he felt something was off about how everyone viewed the nine tailed fox. True Kyu was a dick no getting around that but the fox wasn't a dick without reason. After a few months of on and off encounters he realized the Kyuubi had a real reason to hate humans.

If not for Mikon and Ino Naruto felt he might have hated people to such an extreme extent as well so respected the fox's desire to be alone for the most part. No reason to tempt sleeping bears. Still that didn't stop Naruto from trying to work out a respectable relationship with his prisoner since bother were unwilling volunteers to the current system.

Looking at his work he saw what the fox meant and scrapped the blueprint in front of him to remake it using the fox's suggestion. Pausing for a moment Naruto had a thought pop into his head.

"Hey Kyu?" Naruto asked mentally. " **Stop calling me that!** " The Kyuubi shouted. Ignore the foxes reply Naruto asked a question that caught even the fox off guard. "Is it possible to remake your core with with fūinjutsu?"

Pausing for a moment the fox wondered if he had heard right. Did his host actually ask if there was a way to restore him? The Fox glared down on Naruto with a slight malice around him. **"Kid... you do realize that I'll leave you, likely for dead, if I return to normal."** The fox asked with a softness and doubt in his tone that Naruto had never heard before. Mind anyone else it sounded like Hiruzen lecturing with marbles in his mouth. The fox noticing the change himself cringed and reprimanded himself as Naruto answered honestly, "Yeah I know..."

Naruto however felt that the Kyuubi wouldn't just leave him for dead but wasn't really sure. At the moment it was just a gut feeling or an empathetic emotion. If worse came to worse the seal was still in place so there wasn't much to worry about.

With and exaggerated sigh the fox answer, **"I'm pretty sure it's possible. Even if it isn't it'll lead you towards a means to make it possible. Now leave me alone kid. I'm going to sleep."**

Grinning Naruto muttered to himself that the stupid fox was the one who called out to him. Receiving a sneer from the fox the mental connection was cut as the fox drifted off. Naruto focused on the Scrolls though throughout the process he could swear the fox was muttering in his sleep suggestion for Naruto to consider as he finalized the jutsu he had imagined.

Left on autopilot Naruto's mind wondered about the fox he was stuck with. Everything about his seemed misunderstood. Sure he was a furball of hate but then again if Naruto was attacked every time he was asleep he'd be cranky too. Still the subject was a little too much for him to think about logically since so many variables where present.

It was a similar case with the Night of the Kyuubi Attack, much to their shock Naruto and Hiruzen had uncovered enough evidence to support the conclusion that someone used the Kyuubi to attack the village, even with the fox's testimony. It did leave him wondering how many other events existed like that where people didn't know the truth.

Mikon jumped onto the "Learning the hidden truth" bandwagon not wanting to be outdone by everyone and was adamantly researching the Uchiha believing that Sasuke was doomed to forever be moody because his clan was cursed with what she called Brooding-idis. It wasn't all that interesting to Naruto except for the fact that the Uchiha clan all used the same toothpaste for three years before they got wiped out. He just found it funny that Mikon's investigation turned up toothpaste in comparison to his and the Hokage's discovery of evil in the shadows.

Still Naruto had to wonder if Mikon really would find something worthy of note in her search for her own grand discovery. Naruto wished her success since if she didn't find anything of worth she'd just go back to peeping on the boys and girls baths.

At that thought Hinata's exposed contents flashed into his mind as he tried to shake them out of it. "Damn it Ojisan, do you have to make everyone you live with into a pervert?" Naruto asked himself as he continued to automatically draw each calligraphy like brush stroke.

Mikon who was currently tailing Sasuke felt her brain rattle like a as she held in a sneeze.

Jiraiya had to admit that Naruto coming up with an amazing fūinjutsu of his own was great but to watching the kid work was something else. Jiraiya had told Kurenai that when he got the chance he'd send Naruto over to her, but watching Naruto perform in his trance, a side of him wished to push him further past his limits.

At first he though it would take Naruto five or six years to complete the jutsu if at all having confidence in his skill and abilities in fūinjutsu.

However seeing what he was seeing now, if Naruto worked hard on it constantly there was no reason the kid couldn't complete jutsu within a two years, maybe sooner. It had only been an hour and he was already testing basic foundation seals for his jutsu.

After several hours Naruto final rejoined with his squad to which he was greeted with a lecture from Kureanai about holding up one's team and acting on ones own.

Still, Naruto was grateful when Jiraiya intervened and whispered something that caught her attention which ended the lecture earlier then he would have expected. Afterwards Kurenai stated that Naruto would be given the early mornings of practice to work on his new jutsu however was expecting to be fully committed to his team afterwords.

"What did Jiriya-sama say to Kurenai-san?" Hinata asked, "Normally she would back down or change her plans just like that?"

Naruto shook his head, "No idea but I'm glad I can work on this seal without getting yelled at."

With a system worked out Naruto and company proceeded to work on team layouts, formation and encounters. At the end of the day Kurenai said she would see if she could set up a practice run with another squad for them to work on their teamwork.

While Kurenai had an idea as to who she could ask, she was hesitant to ask the white haired jounin since he was also difficult to work with. That wasn't even mentioning the problems that her team would encounter in interacting with the famous Uchiha and - as Naruto put it - pink banshee. Still at the end of the day she concluded they did excellent work and told them to take it easy the rest of the night. If she was going to have them spar another team at least that Team Seven wouldn't be overly busy that they could work something out.

Naruto was grateful for the early end to practice. Walking off the training grounds Naruto managed to convince Shino and Hinata that they should go out to eat at Ichiraku's. He was kinda surprised he never asked them to join him before but then again most of the time Shino would have insect stuff to manage and Hinata would be restricted by something she called a curfew. Whatever it was he was too lazy to look it up.

As he sat down Naruto introduced his two new friends to the old man and Ayame who worked the shop. Giving out their orders the three sat down to eat.

"This is really great, I can see why Naruto likes it here." Hinata said embracing the warm friendly atmosphere the shop had. Smiling Teuchi gave her a thumbs up as he said, "Glad you like it."

Ayame added her own piece as she teasingly said, "Its nice to see our number one customer hasn't forgotten us. We haven't seen you in weeks Naruto-kun."

Slurping the last drops of the broth from his bowl he placed it down with a thud as he replied, "I couldn't help it. I had training to do."

Raising and doubtful eyebrow as she retorted slyly, "Really even during the night hours? They must be training you genin reeeeally hard now to keep you that occupied. We might just have to stay open later just to stay in business."

Teuchi joined in as he added, "We're more likely to go out of business. These old bones won't be able to keep up with such a long shift."

Naruto grew flustered at their teasing. "I get it, I get it, I'll come around more. No way I'm letting you go out of business!" he declared not wishing to see them go out of business.

Hinata leaned over to Shino and asked, "Do you think we should tell him they won't go out of business even if he doesn't show up?"

I doubt that would be necessary," he stated in an equal whisper as he watched Naruto continue to fall for the father daughter tag team. "Why, because Naruto seems to be at ease with them."

"Glad you picked up on that" Mikon said surprising everyone present with her arrival.

"Hey Miko-chan what's up?" Naruto stated with a smile as she watched her sit down next to Hinata.

"Oh you know, the usual, went around helping with Jiji's research and stuff. Did you know that one guy from the market is still ranting about you, complaining about how absurd it is the village let you be a genin?" Mikon stated none nonchalantly as she ordered her regular shrimp ramen.

Digging into his third bowl Naruto looked sadly at his meal as he ate it. Hinata and Shino had seen a lot of what Naruto had to deal with and had shown their support of his goal, Hinata being the more vocal of the two. She was about to try and comfort Naruto by patting him on the back when he suddenly looked past her towards Mikon.

Quickly pulling her hand back she blushed violantly. While she wasn't sure why she was embarrassed but when she looked up she watched as Teuchi add more toppings to her Ramen, giving her a smile and thumbs up. Blushing even harder now then before she listened to Naruto as she tried to distract her thoughts with the delicious ramen.

"So wait a minute which guy was it?" Naruto asked.

Mikon thought for a second, "Umm the middle aged guy, you know the one that got me tied up."

A sudden realization hit Naruto as the image of the man popped into his head. "Oh yeah the guy you gave a tadpole enema." Naruto stated causing in quick succession Hinata and Shino to spew out their ramen, Teuchi to nearly face-plant and dropped his ladle into the large pot he was cooking with and Ayame to blush deep red that was giving Hinata's current hue a run for its money.

Ayame quickly recovering herself nailed Naruto on the head with the end of her own ladle. "Please keep such comments for outside our shop Naruto-kun. It disrupts peoples appetite" she scolded.

Rubbing his head Naruto apologized while ignoring Mikon laughing at Shino who had lost his composure and had a noddle dangling unceremoniously from his nose having not expected such a sudden image to appear.

Still rubbing his head Naruto looked at Mikon as he asked, "So what did you do. Knowing you, you wouldn't just sit still and do nothing."

Regaining her composure she rubbed a tear away from her laughing fit. "I'm so glad you know me so well" she teased affectionately causing a shade a pink to appear on everyone present. "You're absolutly right I did something. He didn't learn his lesson so I shot him another enema." Another round of ramen spew everywhere where this time Ayame face-planted the table.

Laughing out loud again Mikon bit her tongue as this time Teuchi hit her with the ramen ladle. Once everyone calmed down their meal became more enjoyable. As the night went on both Mikon and Hinata chatted while Shino listened to Naruto explain the idea for a new Fuinjutsu he had thought up of earlier that day.

"Those orange pants... is that Naruto?"

Naruto stiffened up a bit as the female voice he recognized. "Damn it, that voice, don't tell me..." Naruto wondered aloud as he turned to see the undesired presence of bubblegum pink hair. "Great now I have to deal with this." Naruto thought to himself.

"It is Naruto," She confirmed before seeing his headband a frown graced her features. "I see they still allowed a cheater be a genin." She muttered just loud enough for them to hear her. Behind her, her teammates Sasuke and Kiba walked up beside her. "Wow, check it out Akamaru it's Naruto."

"Sup Kiba... teme." Naruto responded to the two other members. As he made eye contact Naruto noticed that Sasuke was glaring at him.

Ignoring the staring contest between Sasuke and Naruto, Shino asked Kiba and Sakura, "If I been hearing correctly, Team 7 has been busy. What have you guys been doing since graduating.

"Heh, we've been bored off our asses." Kiba mockingly laughed. "Our jounin is just as lazy as Shikamaru if not worse. Not to mention we've been bored out of our minds doing D missions and teamwork building exercises. You guys?"

Shino silently expressed his similar experience as he replied. "Kurenai-sensei is planning on having use work with another team in our own teamwork exercises in preparations for a big mission." he explained which perked Kiba's ire.

"Hold on a minute. Big mission? Don't tell me you guys are gonna on a C rank mission soon!?" Kiba shouted in irritation. "How come you guys are getting a C rank mission when you have this loser holding you back!" pointing at Naruto.

Naruto broke his gaze away from Sasuke to glare at Kiba. Not wanting to back down Kiba gave off a feral grown along with Akamaru who joined his partner in staring down Naruto. Before Naruto could speak Shino said harshly with a sharp edge to his voice, "Naruto is by no means holding us back. Why, Because the Naruto you knew is nothing. The Naruto who stands before you is a proud leaf ninja and valued member of Team 8."

Hinata got up and agreeing with Shino supported him. "That's right, Naruto is really strong! He isn't holding anyone back."

If not for the hostile environment before him Naruto would have been grinning brightly at the words of his teammates. Still Naruto knew that if things got more heated Team 7 would definitely attack. With Kiba being a natural hothead, Sasuke's emo pride then it wouldn't be unsurprising. Sakura might be the voice of reason but considering her dislike of him and her violent nature he felt it be more likely that she would join the other two.

Sneering Sasuke smirked mockingly at Hinata and Shino. "Doesn't matter if what you say is true or not. The idiot wouldn't even be able to hold his own if he fought one of us." Sasuke said proudly. "That's right, in the face of an Uchiha, Naruto was nothing." he thought to himself.

In the depths of his memory however the fight they had during the graduates meeting haunted him. He didn't care about the Hyuuga but the fact Shino supported him gave credit to his deep fear. The fear that Naruto might be stronger then him. However he recalled how Naruto couldn't land a solid attack on him. That's right, there was no way he could lose to Naruto.

Despite this Sasuke was haunted by the feeling that he would loose to Naruto the next time they fought.

Seeing the tension rise as Shino too was beginning to get irritated at his friends being mocked. However before a fight could break out a calm and laid back voice called out to them. "I think that's enough you three. Weren't you going to get something to eat since you completed your mission properly."

Everyone turned their heads to see a one eyed jounin with silver hair reading an orange book come from down the street.

"Kakashi-senesi" Sakura shouted in surprise.

Naruto looked at the jounin thankful that he prevented a fright from breaking out with his appearance.

Sighing a breath of relief Naruto scanned the laid back jounin. "He looks familiar..." Naruto muttered as he wondered if he had met him before.

"Save your strength for when all of you kids practice your teamwork exercise during tomorrow's joint exercise." Kakashi said not looking away from his book.

Placing money on the table, Naruto grabbed Hinata and Shino pulling them along. "Thanks for the meal Teushi, Ayama-chan we'll come again." Naruto shouted back as he picked up the pace.

Hearing Teushi call out "Thanks, come again!" Naruto made off in a hasty sprint which Shino and Hinata matched wondering what was up with him.

"N-Naruto-kun whats wrong?" Hinata asked. Concerned for Naruto strange behavior. Stopping on a telephone pole he said, "Sorry for that."

Tapping his should Shino consoled him, "You did nothing to warrant our forgiveness. Why, because what they said was false bravado. Me and Hinata have experienced how strong you are."

"He's right Naruto-kun," Hinata said smiling, "Your an important part of the team. Remember what Kurenai-sensei said. "Your role would be to distract and intercept the enemy so they can't surround or engage Shino and Hinata regardless if we are attacking or retreating. If you do it properly you'll make missions ten times easier for your teammates." I believe that someone who can do that is really amazing. I know I could never do that."

Thanking them internal Naruto let the smile he had been holding in out. Seeing him smiling again Hinata let our a sigh of relief while Shino relaxed his shoulders. When he turned to face them the both tensed as Naruto asked them, "I have a favor to ask of you. Kurenai said we'd be doing team building exercise tomorrow again. I'm not the smartest guy around and I know you guys have to head home but... Could you guys stick around to so we can work more on our teamwork?"

Shino and Hinata looked at each other.

"Right now I don't know if I'm holding you guys back or not but I want to prove that you guys where right and I can support you guys. Even if I can't win... I don't want us to lose. So~ can you guys stick around so we don't lose tomorrow?"

Hinata felt her heart skip a bit as she watched Naruto bow as he expressed his wishes. While she was worried that her family would be upset, at that moment she didn't care. Naruto wanted her help and wish to prove that he could help them. Most of all it was the first time he had asked for their help.

Shino was of a similar mindset as both mentally exchanged a nod with each other. "Naruto-kun of course we can, right Shino?" Hinata said. Shino nodded, "One night shouldn't be a problem. First I think we should go over our strengths and weaknesses and how to use them to fulfill our roles as teammates." Shino said stoically. "Like Kureanai said earlier, Each of us have many talents and what roles would should do and could perform are many and numerous. We should figure out what we're good at and not good at to formulate a solid foundation for our team.

"I don't have a clue what you meant but lets go, Dattebayo!" Naruto shouted with a grin plastered to his face as the three headed to the training field to strategist the night away.

The next morning Kurenai was shocked to find Naruto, Shino, and Hinata already present at the 5th Training ground. The three where gathered around the table Naruto had station there previously.

Shino was sitting upright with his head slouched clearly sleeping where as Hinata was sleeping on Naruto's lap with a sleeping bag spread out over her as a blanket. Naruto was the only one awake with three clones. All four were reading the paper's in front of each of them. As she approached she noticed they depicted battle formations and tactical plans.

"Morning Naruto, I hope you didn't stay awake all night?" Kurenai said as she took a seet across from him. Smiling Naruto shyly shook his head but quickly said, "I did. But it won't effect my performance today. Not with Shino and Hinata supporting me."

Picking up one of the papers she asked curiously, "Did the three of you stay up all night making up team strategies and tactics?"

Naruto quickly shook his head, "No, Shino and Hinata went to sleep when we finished making up team plans and formations." Rubbing the back of his head he continued slightly embarrassed, "I stayed up because it took me longer to memorize all the strategies and formations. I don't want to mess up because I couldn't remember. Shino and Hinata put a lot of effort into them after all. Shino even explained how each of them would make me stronger and how they work best."

Dispersing the three clones Naruto absorbed the memories and strategies they had memorized. When the slight headache vanished from the information transferred, Naruto looked over at Shino and Hinata. His eyes softened with appreciation before hardening with resolve. "Kurenai-sensei, we're having a group exercise with Team 7 today, arn't we." he asked surprising Kurenai that he had already heard of her arrangement with Kakashi. Especially since she had made the arrangement just that night upon crossing paths with Kakashi. Recieving a nod Naruto cried out while grinned confidently, "Alright, Team 7 isn't going to get the better of me." before returning to his work.

Waking up a little while later, Shino and Hinata joined the two in waited for Team 7's arrival. To Team 8's surprise Kakashi was the last one to show up. Not wasting any time Kakashi started to explaine the goal of the exercise which Naruto pretty much ignored. Little did he know Kakashi started up in order to delay Kurenai's repreivel for showing up late. He started paying attention again when Kurenai started talking.

"This is how the mock mission will go down. Both teams will have a scroll. The goal of the mission is to steal the other teams scroll and return it to you team base which will be one of these two flags." she said holding up a Black and White flag. "Lethal ninjustu is forbidden and both Kakashi and myself will be observing the battles, if we deem you unable to continue fighting we will pull you out form the match. Remember in a mission leaving yourself open and dying is a real possibility and will effect your teammates. Everyone understand."

Seeing all six genin nod she gave the teams their respective scrolls. Shino took the black scroll while Sakura was handed the white scroll. After handing the two groups their respective scrolls Kurenai finished her explanation of the rules. " Now that both teams have their scroll each of you will be following your sensei to the starting location. From there you will have 10 minutes to devise your plans before starting. Premature starts will by individuals will have them withdraw early."

Seeing that everyone understood the situation she started to guide Team 8 to their starting point smiling in her heart as she lead them. As Naruto, Hinata, and Shino followed suit she knew that they would make her proud. If anything seeing how devoted to their team building efforts and the ideas they came up with form their late night gathering she knew that this exercise was probably pointless at this point. Even so she would watch to see if they truly could put their ideas into practice.

Once at the designated spot, Kurenai wished them luck and started the ten minute timer before leaving.

"Alright lets get this thing started!" Naruto shouted as he punched the air excitedly.

"Naruto-kun, maybe we should come up with a plan first." Hinata suggested, stopping Naruto in mid stride as he was about to launch himself into the treeline.

Rubbing the back of his head he gave a cheeky smile. "Oh yeah. Got a little excited there." Turning to Shino he asked, "So, do we even have a plan?"

Shino nodded as he did have a idea.

"First off we need to determine Team 7's location. How we act will depend on if they split up or stick together." Shino explained as he looked at Naruto. "First off we'll have you make several clones to scout ahead and locate their positions to determine if they have separated or are sticking together."

"Yosh! You can count on me, dattebayo!" Naruto confirmed giving a piece sign along with a mirthful grin.

Shifting his attention to Hinata, Shino added, "Hinata, once Naruto has located them we'll use your eyes to keep track of them so I can place a female kikaichū on each of them to keep tabs on their locations."

Hinata clutched her hands together trying to build up her courage. Taking a breath to calm her nerves one could see a fire was lit behind her eyes as she mentally cheered herself forward to do her best. "Right."

"The only problem would be Kiba. If we're smart we would separate them from each other and take out Kiba first. Why, because he is the only capable tracker on their team." Shino stated voicing his concerns.

As the three of them thought about how to deal with Kiba Naruto had an idea as he recalled the hot heads temper. "Hey Shino. Kiba's most likely the fastest one on their team right?" he asked wanting to confirm if his plan would work.

Receiving a nod from Shino Naruto produced a shit-eating grin. "In that case I have an idea of how to split them up, hehehe."

The moment ten minutes where up Sakura, Sasuke, and Kiba charged through the forest to find the members of Team 8. "Slow down Kiba, we agreed to stick together to make it hard for them to pick us off." Sakura complained as the Inuzuka charged forward at a quickening pace.

"Then pick up the pace, I want to be done with those losers as soon as possible. Besides Shino's the only one we need to worry about. Hinata's to timid to be a threat and Naruto's Naruto, so quit your whining and keep up."

Sakura grunted as her temper started to flare up at the disrespect her teammate showed. Before she could say anything Sasuke reprimanded her. "Your slow, don't hold us down."

Sakura deflated at her _beloved_ Sasuke's words as she quickly grew silent. Simply nodding in acknowledgment she followed without a word. Internally however she was screaming and cursing Kiba for making her look bad in front of Sasuke.

Sniffing the air Kiba tensed up as he recognized the smell of Naruto up ahead. Spotting the orange blond Kiba charge forward like a beast with claws and fangs ready to sink into their prey. Not giving the blond a chance to react he charged at a blistering speed and with his sharp claws he quickly swiped at Naruto who caught off-guard was slash to pieces before exploding in a puff of smoke.

"What the hell!?" Kiba shouted before his momentum threw him straight into a tree. Sasuke eyes sharpened as he recognized the jutsu Naruto had used. A similar feat that Sakura portrayed as she shout at Kiba, "Damnit Kiba thats why I said not to rush ahead. Still when did Naruto learn how to use Shadow Clones?"

Ignoring her Sasuke focused his attention on his surroundings. He couldn't sense Team 8 anywhere near by but figured that they must be in the same direction the clone had coming from. Leaping off in that direction he ignored Kiba and Sakura's complaints as he sought out his personal vexation. He would prove today that Naruto was just a weak and foolish nobody and calm the slight worries that plagued him.

"Naruto, I see them. They're heading our way" Hinata reported as she relaxed her eyes. As the veins receded she looked at Shino who was now filling the large natural cavern below him with kikaichū.

Not breaking his focus from his part of the plan he informed Naruto, "Naruto I'll be done shortly. Are you sure you can separate them?"

Grinning madly Naruto gave him a thumbs up. "Leave it to me." he declared.

"The plan is for me to occupy Sasuke for as long as possible while luring Kiba into you bug trap. And after that my clones will help Hinata take out Sakura and get the scroll. Meanwhile throughout the plan Hinata will provide us with observation and tactical support." Naruto clarified.

With a curt nod Shino acknowledged Naruto's brief summary of their plan. Smiling Naruto turn to ask Hinata the last thing he needed to know before departing.

"Hey Hinata which one of them is holding the scroll?"

"Sakura-chan" Hinata replied as she prepared herself for her role, "Which means we will get the scroll while Shino takes care of Kiba." Eternally she was thankful to Naruto and Shino for minimizing her role in the fighting while still giving her the most important part to play.

"Naruto-kun, do your best!"

Smiling happily Naruto thanked Hinata as he rushed off into the trees.

While Hinata's heart skipped a beat she regained her focus as she too dashed after him. "I won't be a burden." she said encouragingly to herself.

Naruto made off like a rocket leaving his team behind with his clones all converging on Team 8. Coming into earshot he knew it would be too easy to pull off his plan as he listened to Team 7's shouting. 

"Oh come on! How many clones is he gonna make this is ridiculous." Kiba shouted in irritation having taken out his seventh clone.

"Just shut up dog breath and take them out, their has to be a limit. This is Naruto we're talking about he can't keep up an advanced jutsu like this for much longer." Sakura complained.

"Oh will you shut up you annoying..." Kiba retorted before being interrupted by Naruto's voice.

"Oh whats the matter Mut, running out of steam?" 

Their attention was drawn to Naruto as he shout from a few trees away from them.

Appearing before Team 8 Naruto walked nonchalantly in front of them like he didn't even see them as a threat. Seeing the irritation growing Naruto continued to push Kiba's buttons. "Wow, I heard you dogs had a lot of stamina but I guess I was lied to again. Is that really all you got mut?"

Growling Kiba shouted in anger, "Shut up! You think you can mock us?"

Naruto obviously acting dismayed said, "Mock you guys?" Suddenly breaking out into a fit of laughter Naruto point at Kiba proclaimed, "I don't think I can muck you guys. I'm just mocking you... bitch." he said with a shit eating grin. If given a second thought Kiba would have realized that Naruto's persona was different from usual. Sadily that wouldn't be the case.

A vein burst as Kiba flew into a furry as he charged straight at Naruto, Akamaru in hot pursuit, equally upset at Naruto's choice words towards his master. "NAAAARUUUTOOOOOO!" 

"Yes! He took the bait." Naruto celebrated in his head as he literally turned tail and ran towards Shino's trap. Flying through the trees Naruto had the advantage. Smiling Naruto was impressed at Shino's prediction. He was right, Kiba was indeed faster then Naruto but the dense forest inhibited his movements while Naruto was left unaffected by it. In fact Naruto now held the speed advantage as he didn't need to slow down to turn or change directions to avoid the trees.

"Stop running you bastard" Kiba shouted in a feral cry.

Laughing in his face Naruto poured more fuel on Kiba's explosive temper by shouting out, "If you want my just try to catch me! At this rate you couldn't even catch up to a fluffy squirrel."

Looking back he could see Sasuke still in pursuit off in the distance. Guessing that Sakura couldn't keep up Sasuke was just barely in his line of sight most likely having left her behind. Grinning that the second stage of their plan had worked Naruto dropped a strip of paper that would trigger phase three of Team 8's strategy.

As Kiba passed over it, the paper lit up, revealing a sealing formula on it. Triggered, the strip burst into a blinding show of white light, illuminated the entire wooden area blinding Kiba and Sasuke. Creating four clones Naruto hid himself with two of them while the third rushed off along the same path Naruto was originally heading.

Regaining his eyesight, Kiba was more enraged and continued his pursuit of the orange shinobi. Now completely out of Sasuke's line of sight the three members of Team 7 have been completely separated. Walking out from behind the tree he was hiding behind Naruto presented himself before Sasuke grinning. Now all he had to do was entice him not to follow after Kiba.

"Now that Kiba is gone, lets see how great the mighty Uchiha really is." Naruto declared taking a fighting stance before Sasuke. Seeing the flames of aggression behind Sasuke's glare Naruto smiled as he left Kiba to Shino and Sakura to his two remaining clones.

Naruto started the fight off charging Sasuke with a feint. Keeping low to the ground he pulled is arm back winding up for a punch. Sasuke made to dodge and count but Naruto punched the ground twisting his whole body into a round house kick to Sasuke's jaw using his arm as an axis. The solid blow stunned the Uchiha but failed to prevent a counter attack. Throwing three kunai, Naruto was left vulnerable as he dodged them. Taking the full force of Sasuke's kick unprotected Naruto was launched into a tree with a bone breaking thud. Getting his bearings Naruto grabbed the tree branch above him as Sasuke launched a follow up fire jutsu.

" **Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu** "

J/N: Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu

flipping himself up and launching himself from the branch Naruto dodged the fireball. As he watched the tree get incinerated Naruto gulped at the devastation. "I'm gonna be overcooked Uzumaki if I get hit by that." Grabbing another tree he circled around using his momentum to land on one of its branches.

" **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu"** Naruto shouted spawning 5 clones to assist him. While Naruto began to doubt if he could beat Sasuke, he wasn't about to let those thoughts stop him from winning. Naruto smiled as he reminded himself, "If you beat Sasuke that's great, but so long as you keep him busy and incapable of fight us you win. Why, because if you keep him occupied we will win as a Team. Hehe, thanks for the pep talk Shino. I'll be sure to keep the Teme busy."

Sakura panted heavily as she collapsed to the ground. "Damn it Kiba, we were suppose to stick together. Why the hell did you run off like that." Sakura complained aloud as she. She should have expected this from Kiba though. The loud mouth was always arrogant and rushing ahead thinking he was better then everyone. Still Sasuke also ran ahead and left her behind without a second thought.

"S-sakura..."

"Sasuke you came back!" Sakura shouted as she heard Sasuke's voice. Turning to face him her heart stopped and she became eerily pale. Before her eyes she saw Sasuke dragging himself through the forest leaving a trail of blood everywhere. His left arm was missing and his left leg twisted at an odd angle as he used the trees to support himself.

"S-Sakura help me-" Sasuke coughed out as blood blocking his windpipe sputtered out violently. Falling face first his energy drained Sasuke's body hit the ground splattering blood outward. The shock of the impact caused his head to become separated from his body.

Sakura watched the head of her lover role over to her and as it bumpt into her the black eyes of a dead Sasuke stared up at her. At first she figured it was an Illusion but the moment the head bumped into her, every part of her mind blanked out. Loosing all energy in her body Sakura keeled over and passed out unconscious from shock.

"...well that was anticlimactic. I didn't even get to really do anything." Naruto said jumping down from the trees behind Sakura's limp body. "Damnit guys you did that a little too well." Naruto stated as the head and body of Sasuke burst into smoke revealing a Naruto clone and Hinata.

"I-I'm sorry N-Naruto-kun. Next time I'll-" she began to apologize before the clone behind her laughed. Taken aback she wondered if she had said something wrong. Still laughing clone reassured her, "Don't worry Hinata this guys just upset he didn't get to knock Sakura out himself. You where awesome. There's no way we could have pulled this off so perfectly by ourselves without knowing exactly where she was. You where a great help and your transformation was awesome. Even this jealous idiot couldn't have done it as well."

"Hey shut up, we're both clones you idiot." The clone retorted.

Hinata blushed from the complement but was truly glad she was of help. It was also a little fun to pull off a prank as Naruto had called it. Walking up to Sakura, Hinata opened her pouch and pulled out the scroll they needed. "I got the scroll Naruto-kun."

The two clones nodded and they both took escort positions around her like they had planned out.

"Lets get that scroll back to the flag." the envious clone on the left said.

"We'll act as your escort Hinata." the right one confirmed.

Hinata felt her confidence build as she was surrounded by her idol. Nodding happily she lead her escort back to their victory as a Team.

"Get back here you bastard I'm gonna kill you!" Kiba screamed as he kept chasing after Naruto unaware he was chasing a clone. "Why was Naruto so fast?" he asked himself before shaking his head. No, Naruto wasn't fast he was just more agile in the forest. If he could get him into an open area then he would be able to catch up and rip him a knew one.

Slowly recovering his composure and coming down from his emotional high, Kiba gazed in front of Naruto seeing that an open clearing was coming up a feral grin graced his face. "Perfect" he muttered. Picking up speed he accelerated, Naruto had just made it into the clearing and the moment he himself did as well would mean game over for Naruto.

Ten meters... five meters... two meters... one meter... Lets go Akamaru!" Kiba cried out as with nothing blocking his way he charged Naruto spinning on his axis with Akamaru charging ahead to bite down Naruto.

" **Tsūga** " Kiba shouted as he brought himself down on Naruto fully intending to cripple him. Landing his attack Kiba grin proudly before the clone disappeared with a resounding pop. Before he or Akamaru could figure out what happened Kiba drilling into the ground which quickly gave way causing the two to fall down. Landing at the bottom of the cavern shaft Kiba rubbed his head as Akamaru began growling defensively have sensed the imminent danger that Kiba had yet to see.

J/N: Tunneling Fang (the English translation sounds better then Passing Fang)

"Damn it, another clone. Where the hell did that Loser go... huh, whats wrong Akamaru?"

Looking up Kiba quickly saw what was wrong as a swarm of kikaichū began circling around him and Akamaru. Looking up he was surprised to see Shino standing over the pitfall stoically. "Shino!?"

Looking down at him and the dog Shino stated coldly, "You shouldn't have mocked Naruto. Why, because he isn't the only one who is strong on our Team. Lifting up his hand Shino said chillingly, " **Hijutsu: Mushidama** ".

J/N: Hidden Jutsu: Insect Dome

Shino was many things and expressive wasn't one of them. However he was no less loyal to his friends, family and the village. That didn't mean he had no emotions, just that he rarely expressed them. Unfortunately for Kiba this was one of those rare times where he did.

Kiba had insulted his teammate who worked harder then anyone and was in Shino's opinion more devoted to his friends then anyone. The village hated him yet he still wanted to become a ninja and serve the village. Anyone who said Naruto was weak knew nothing and those who mocked him would have to face him.

A cold anger leaked out of Shino's voice. "I will warn you now Kiba. Naruto... will become stronger then either of us. Why, because Naruto knows how to overcome his pain and grow stronger." he declared as Kiba screamed as the kikaichū sucked him dry. Akamaru whimpered as the insects drained him in turn. With both of them incapacitated Shino withdrew his kikaichū. Kakashi appeared and gave him an eye smile. Nicely done Shino, thanks for not doing any permanent harm to him. I'll take him from here." he said calmly. Confirming that it was the real Kakashi Shino noded and left. With Kiba down the only thing he had to do was assist Naruto. Leaping into the forest Shino rush to aid Naruto who was keeping Sasuke at bay.

Naruto had spared many times with Shino and Hinata. Shino was strong and fast and always held the advantage during spars. Hinata on the other hand was more difficult to land hits on when she landed her own hits, which Naruto had learned firsthand hurt like hell.

Naruto's fight with Sasuke was turning to be like both aspects at the same time. Clearly he had been practicing and improved since their last bout in the classroom. Naruto had yet to land a solid hit since the beginning of their fight and was currently forced to dodge a barrage of flames as Sasuke kept shooting one Fireball jutsu after another.

Looking at his arm Naruto cursing under his breath. Sasuke had landed a good hit just now, thanks to his Shadow Shuriken Jutsu. While caught off guard by the second shuriken which he managed to dodge, Sasuke had landed devastating kick which Naruto was forced to block with his left arm. Judging from the odd angle and lack of pain Naruto was sure it was broken.

Without his arm Naruto knew he couldn't keep up with Sasuke and would no longer be able to keep dodging and attack. Without his arm he was stuck on the defensive since moving without his arm was like a monkey without a tail. Looking at Sasuke, Naruto couldn't help but be envious of the genius Uchiha and his talent. When fighting Shino, his fast changes and unpredictable moves kept him off guard. But fighting Sasuke Naruto could tell that he was way faster and quicker to adapt to his movements. Sasuke could keep up with him and react properly to his unusual taijutsu.

"Damn it, he really is amazing." Naruto muttered under his breath as another fireball almost hit him. Grazing the tip of his jacket Naruto rolled out of the way by tapping a limb before pushing off with his arm. In mid flight Sasuke appear and punching him right in the stomach.

Coughing up his lack of breakfast Naruto eyes rolled back as he was sent flying by the Uchiha's punch. Crashing through a tree branch Naruto crashed heavily into a large tree trunk. Falling to the ground Naruto's head was swimming and felt something warm trickle down his neck from the back of his head. Looking up his head spinning, he saw Sasuke approach. "Look at you. This is what happens when you face the Uchiha. This is the true strength of the Uchiha."

Stepping forward Sasuke placed his foot atop of Naruto's hand as he made to reach for the shattered tri-pronged kunai that he always kept on himself. "I mean look at this, the hell do you carry around a broken kunai? Trash will always carry trash I guess."

Grabbing his stomach Naruto decided he had done enough. Smiling he chuckled as he looked up with determination. "Because it's a reminder-" Naruto declared as he pulled out a slip of paper from his jacket which began to glow. "-to never give up!"

The parchment suddenly burst into light causing Sasuke to go blind. Unable to see he could do nothing as he felt Naruto break free from his foot having lost balance. Backing off he prepared for a counterattack, crouching low with a second windmill shuriken at the ready. With the light dying down he realized Naruto wasn't attack, he had run away.

He wanted to laugh. Shouting into the forest Sasuke yelled,"Is that the best you got Naruto, how pathetic, Running like a coward!"

While these words that echoed through the woods hurt Naruto's pride, Shino's grip on his arm and waist told him a different story. Grinning Naruto said, "Thanks for the assist. I was planning on running away on my own, though I'm kinda glad you where there to pick me up."

Nodding Shino replied simple, "Your flash tag made retrieving you easier, I simply made use of it to pull you out before you get hurt anymore."

Smiling Naruto knew his cold words where really a show of thanks and was an acknowledgment of his resourcefulness.

"How are things on Hinata's end?" Naruto asked concerned as to how the mission was going.

"Based on my insects she's approaching the flag. Kiba's out, Sakura isn't moving, and Sasuke seems to be expecting an ambush. He isn't moving.

Before Naruto could even nod a loud bell rang signaling the end of the mock mission. As the bellrang, Naruto's grin grew even brighter. Team 8 had won. And with victory, Naruto knew Kurenai was gonna chew him out for being getting hurt again.

"Seriously Naruto, did anything I tell you about diving in head first make it through you thick skull?" Kurenai said in exasperation. She was applying some basic first aid to his broken arm. Hinata was helping out as she placed some healing salve on the open gash that was still bleeding down the back of his head. "Seriously, even when you knew Sasuke was faster and stronger you still attacked him head on. I know I told you before that attacking recklessly is not the best method of distracting an enemy. Did I or did I not?"

"Yes you did." Naruto answered.

"What did I say you should do." Kurenai asked with a slightly stiffer tone.

"You said to retreat and use unexpected tactics like smoke bombs and flash bombs to throw them off balance or force them to second guess my intentions." Naruto mumbled out.

Looking at Naruto eyes full of remorse for disappointing her Kurenai figured that was enough. "Since you remember that I'll assume you stayed and fought knowing full well that the best way to win was to hold him up and fighting defensively." She said standing up, having finished applying a sling to his arm. "Naruto, your fight today was the best I've seen you ever do. While you still charged in, you did so with your head instead of your gut. You made me proud today." Kurenai stated with a smile.

She had already expressed how proud she was of Hinata and Shino, but Naruto had clearly made the most progress out of the three. He was able to work with his teammates, remember the formations they came up with together and even used the escort formation with Hinata without being told to. He spoke aloud without pushing his ideas on the team and acted upon them with the team. And most impressively of all Naruto made on site decisions that best fit the role of a decoy, succeeding in holding up Sasuke throughout the mock mission.

"Naruto Uzumaki... Hinata Hyuuga... Shino Aburame... After what I have seen today I believe you are ready. Go home for the rest for the day and rest well. Tomorrow, you three will be going on your first C rank mission.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own Nothing; have fun with that.**

 **Chapter 10** **:: Depature**

Naruto laid quietly in his bed staring at the ceiling, sleep eluding him. It had been so long since he had slept in his room that he forgot how comforting it was to sleep on a proper bed with out the smell of an apartment complex's decay surrounding him. The smell of ink and paper that filled his room along with the layer of dust that had gathered since he moved out was nostalgic and embracing.

The memory of Ino haunted him whenever he stayed here previously which drove him back towards the apartment he had lived in for so long before Jiraiya and Mikon appeared. The image of Ino's blood covering his hands, seeping beneath his fingernails flashed in his mind. Sweet flowed sporadically as Naruto started to shake and shiver in agony from the memory the intruded upon his mind.

"WHAM!"

Naruto head was sent spinning as something hit his lower jaw sending him into a daze.

"Oomph! What the?" Naruto got out before relaxing as the sudden body of mass that fell on him came into focus after she had punched him. Leave it to Mikon to find her way into his bed all the while making it as unpleasant as possible. A smile stretched across Naruto's face as he looked at Mikon smiling expression as she muttered in her sleep.

"...mmmm, ramon... dumbass...zzzz"

Pulling himself out from underneath her he tried carefully to move her without waking her. A pointless endeavor considering the log that she was while asleep, but a show of compassion non-the-less.

"Even out like a rock you still rescue me from myself." Naruto said as he brushed her bangs aside. "Thanks Miko-chan"

Moving over to a corner he pulled himself up into a handstand and started practicing his chakra control knowing that sleep would not great him that night.

 **Konoha Main Gate**

"He's late." Kurenai muttered in annoyance. Hinata, Shino, Kurenai, and Naruto stood patiently at the front gate waiting for the last minute participants for their mission to arrive.

Hinata spoke concerned, "Do you think something happened to them?"

Naruto shrugged, "Knowing them they might have gotten distracted peeping again. Knowing Mikon it's entirely possible. She's good at using the Tōton Jutsu under pressure. Not so much under pleasure."

Oblivious to Kurenai's reaction to the fact Naruto was suggesting continued by saying, "As for Ojisan, he cant keep quiet so they might very well be being chased around Konoha by now if that's what they're up to."

Just as they finished speaking a large dust cloud appeared down the main street. Screeching to a halt in front of Naruto it picked him up before ruffling his hair madly.

"Don't spread rumors that aren't true you punk." He exerted as he ruffled his hair. Mikon hoping down from Jiraiya's back. Kurenai still slightly cross from the duo's tardiness asked politely, "I'm assuming your absence was due to something important?"

Jiraiya put down a dazed Naruto as he turned around to nod. "Yeah, more intel just came in and I had to meet with a contact and the Hokage before coming here." He explained. Moving in closer he whispered, "It seems somethings going down in the Land of Stone near their border to the Land of Wind. There shouldn't be any problems for both our missions but we should be cautious."

Kurenai nodded before turning to her team. "Alright this is your first C rank mission. Do you three remember what our objective is?"

"Get to the border retrieve the thing and beat down any bandits that get in our way!" Naruto shouted confidently.

Kurenai smiled, "well you're not wrong Naruto. Hinata?"

"Our mission is to retrieve the border report from one of our forts along the border to the Land of Stone and return it back here to the Hokage." she said confidently.

Kurenai nodded, "Yes, that is correct never forget the object of your mission. Now is everyone ready?"

"Hell ya! Lets GO!" Naruto shouted as he charged ahead.

"Naruto wait up you can't leave on you own." Hinata squealed as she charged after him. Shino sighing as he too charged after his teammates.

Kurenai let out a sigh. "What am I gonna do with him?"

Jiraiya laughed as he patted her shoulder. "Only what you can do. He's definitely cheered up and the three of them have a good chemistry together. Naruto sets the pace for them pushing the other two outside their comfort zones to better themselves. While Hinata calms his brash tendencies, Shino acts as his anchor and roots him into focus. You've done a great job training these kids Kurenai."

"Coming from one of the Sannin that means a great deal." Kurenai said as the two of them walked onward after her team. "Still I can only hope they are ready for whatever is out there."

Jiraiya nodded in agreement. "Thing is they won't be ready no matter what you do." Before Kurenai could say anything he continued, "That's why we're sending them out today. No one is ever truly ready for the outside world beyond the comforts of their home. Its only after these kids experience it first hand that they will be ready. Isn't that why we train them to expect the unexpected and look beneath the surface of all things?"

Kurenai nodded seeing what he meant. In truth they weren't ready but sending them out would make them ready. As their instructor it was her job to make sure the survived whatever encounter they met.

As they walked Naruto was floored to be outside the village and was positively beaming.

"You seem in a really good mood today Naruto-kun."

Naruto grin grew as he smiled back at her. "I am, this is the first time I've been out of the Village. I'm super hyped right now, dattebayo"

"You've never left the village Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked in amazement. He nodded as he continued grinning away. Even Shino turned his head which for him was a sign of shock and or amazement.

"Yeah Naruto-kun's never left the village before so this is gonna be super awesome. Since we're heading to the border we're likely to pass through a village or two. I'll show you guys where all the best sweet vendors are. Your gonna love traveling outside Naruto." Mikon declared as she jumped in between the trio while resting her hands on her head.

Hinata giggled at her carefree nature. "You know the two of you are really like sometimes. Even the way you two think with your stomachs... Wait sorry that didn't come out right." Hinata mumbled out before being interrupted by both Mikon and Naruto laughing.

"You right about that, dattebayo!" Naruto laughed out clutching his stomach.

Interrupting their joy Shino asked, "Not to ruin the moment but why are you Mikon and Lord Jiraiya both joining us on our mission. It seems a bit out of place. Why, because one of the three Sannin and genin who isn't even on a squad officially are journeying with a squad on a simple C rank mission."

Mikon caught her breath as she clutched her stomach. "No Idea really. I'm just happy to be traveling with Naruto and Hina-chan. I think Jiji and the old man Hokage said something about traveling to the border to check on some kind of intel, disturbance or something, wasn't really paying attention. Something had them worried though."

"You know if you brats want to know you could just ask me since Mikon's memory is about as reliable as a leaking sieve." Jiraiya said causing the the group minus Shino to jump in surprise.

"Jiji!"

"Ojisan!"

"The reason me and Mikon are joining you is simply we're going in the same direction. There has been some strange occurrences near the border and I'm meeting one of Konoha's contacts just before the border to gain a clearer picture as to what's happening. Hopeful they will shine some clarity on if these strange occurrences are something to be worried about. Not really something for you three to worry over." Jiraiya explained.

Mikon snickered under her breath as she whispered to Naruto and Hinata, "Yeah that's what he says but the real reason is he's trying to look after and spend more time with Naruto. He's trying to make this essentially a family outing before we split up to do the actual missions. Don't tell him I told you that thought, hehe, he'd loose his image as a super pervert if he did."

"How do you know that?" Hinata asked.

"Oh I listened in on them while Jiji and the old man where talking." Mikon answered lazily.

As the six continued to travel Naruto was left in high spirits throughout the trip. Everything was new and vast. Naruto knew the world was big but until now he never truly felt how big the world was, and they had only traveled for a few hours. Having stopped for a break to eat at a dango shop Naruto looked out at the road and wondered just how far they had gone in those short hours.

"Hey Jiraiya-Ojisan? How far are we from the Land of Stone anyway?" Naruto asked curiously.

Jiriya who had just sat down on the red bench to eat next to Naruto who had been looking out at the road hummed to himself in thought. "We're not moving very fast so we're probable about four to five days away from the border."

"Really!?" Naruto exclaimed. His eyes widened as he tried to imagine just how much he'd be able to see as he traveled on this mission. As his thoughts grew enamored with visions of adventures and excitement he was brought back to reality as one of the employees asked, "Anything I can get you?"

Naruto suddenly froze up. He turned slowly as his brain tried to plan a route of escape.

"U-um I-I'll ha-h-have s-some dango..." Naruto stuttered out as the kind and accepting eyes that greeted him through him into greater confusion.

Smiling with a giggle the waitress nodded and took off to fulfill his order. Naruto watched not quite sure what just happened.

Jiraiya ruffled his hair as he said, "I'm guessing this is your first time being asked at an eating establishment your order without first being kicked out the door."

Receiving a nodded Jiraiya let out a sigh. "I figured as much. That's the nice thing about traveling, people know nothing about you or where you come from. Naruto, they people out here don't know of your burden and won't judge you for it. So relax and enjoy yourself, this is your first time outside of Konoha and on your first C rank mission no less." Jiraiya said patting his should just as a plate of dango was set next to his godson.

Handing the waitress a few coins he watched as Naruto calmed down, the tension in his shoulders and body flowing out from him like a river.

He wondered if had he abandoned his duty and focused on Naruto alone would things have gone better for him. Shaking his head he pushed the thought away. He had traveled the world and seen many things to know better then think his presence and actions could sway the unreasonable hatred that had taken hold of the hearts of Konoha's residents.

"Ojisan? Do you think my parents would be proud of me?"

Jiraiya laughed at his question. Offended by the sudden and very different response to his serious question Naruto shouted, "What so funny!"

However it wasn't Jiraiya but Mikon who answered him. "That's easy, its because your amazing Naruto." She answered while Jiraiya collecting himself.

"But I'm..." Naruto was about to counter before Jiraiya placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Naruto you parents would be proud of you. Look at you, You've learned several high level jutsu including the Shadow Clone jutsu. Your work hard and care about those around you. And despite all the horrid treatment people give you, you have a heart of gold and don't hesitate to protect others. If your parents where around they'd be so proud of you."

Naruto nodded not entirely sure if he was just saying it or meant it. As if reading his mind Jiraiya continued, "If you don't believe me then the only thing you need to do is make it true. Isn't that what you've always been doing, pushing yourself past your limits and getting acknowledge by those who watch you?" he said gesturing towards Shino, Hinata and Kurenai.

A smile returned as Naruto's doubts once again vanished into the recesses of his mind. "Yeah... thanks Ojisan."

Leaving the two alone Mikon returned to her table where Shino, Hinata and Kurenai where eating just in time to catch the tail end of Shino's question.

"... alright for us to be taking a break during our mission?"

Kurenai nodded and explained, "The mission is a simple retrieval mission from the border. Technically we're going to get it about three of four days in advance so there isn't a real hurry. Welcome back Mikon I thought you where gonna sit with those two?"

Nodding Mikon sat back down across from Hinata next to Kurenai. "I was but its better this way. Naruto is always alone and Jiji is the closest thing to a parent his has. I've had plenty of time to be wanted so its best if I let them have some time to themselves."

"That's really thoughtful of you Miko-chan." Hinata praised.

Shino silently agreed as he said. "Considering how you where in the Academy, you are surprisingly insightful and compassionate. Why, because you where already aware of Naruto's living situation and troubles after just returning from your travels.

Mikon tilted her head in confusion, "Living situation?"

"Yes," Hinata nodded in agreement. "I guess since you knew he lived in that apartment that it would have been easier for you to know what he's been going through."

Mikon shot up from her seat in surprise. "Wait a second. You mean Naruto's been living in that old run down apartment building that he use to live in!?"

All those present at the table where taken aback by her sudden action, Kurenai included. Hinata nodded. "Yeah, the Hokage hinted that he's been living there for some time now. Didn't you know that?"

"How the hell would I know that, I returned just that evening to see your team training and assumed that you knew. Naruto moved in with me into Jiraiya's house on the outskirts of the village. He even has his own room. When Jiraiya first returned to the village, back when I first met him, Naruto moved in with us cuz he's family you know. Why did Naruto go back to his old place?" Mikon asked out load as her brain started to overload with the news she was given. Suddenly something clicked in her mind as she finally noticed the missing presence in Naruto's life during her few months in Konoha. "Where's Ino?"

"Ino is on team ten with Shikamaru and Choji." Hinata answered.

Mikon looked down in worry. "That's not what I meant. Before we had to leave Ino and Naruto where always there for each other."

"After you left there seemed to be some kind of tension between Naruto and Ino. I haven't seen the two together except on two occasions." Shino stated taking a sip of tea.

"You don't think it was my fault. Did something happen because I left with Jiji!?" Mikon asked he face turning slightly pale.

"It probably has to do more with Naruto than you." Jiriya said from behind Mikon.

"GYAA! Damn it Jiji. Don't sneak up on me." Mikon stammered out as her heart pounded in her ears. "You gave me a heart attack dattebane."

Ignoring her Jiraiya looked at Kurenai and said, "We should get moving. Think the kid is getting restless and there are reasons for us to not stay here too long."

Shino eyebrows focused on his last statement as Kurenai nodded in agreement.

Hinata looked at Jiraiya to ask, "What do you mean by the tension between Naruto and Ino was most likely Naruto's fault?"

Jiraiya shook his head, "Sorry kid, but if I told you I could risk spilling some confidential stuff."

Walking off he rejoined Naruto who was staring intently at a small book Hinata had seen him reading before. Grabbing Naruto by the cuff of his jacket Jiraiya swung him around onto so hes back rested on his. As he was carried of Hinata noticed that the greater the distance form the waitress the less rigid Naruto became.

"Whats wrong with Naruto-kun?" She asked looking at Mikon. Shrugging the blonde girl walked right past Hinata as she grinned backwards with a smile. "Not a clue." She said without a care.

Hinata followed behind them not sure what to make of Naruto's behavior and Mikon's reactions. Until know she had though Mikon knew everything about Naruto and was slightly jealous of her for it. Yet judging from her reactions she realized that she didn't know anything about what was going on with Naruto after she left.

"They're hiding something from us." A stout voice said aloud next to her. Looking up Hinata was greeted by Shino who seemed to be brooding more then usual. He was hunched ever so slightly forward and if not for his glasses Hinata would have sworn he was glaring holes through Naruto and Jiraiya.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that Kurenai-sensei, Mikon, and Lord Jiraiya are hiding something from us, maybe even Naruto." he answered as he shifted his focus to Mikon.

Hinata looked at Mikon as he explained, "Back when Mikon returned I saw her by chance leaving the Hyuuga residence. At the time I was catching a rare nocturnal species of insect and didn't recognize her so I confronted her. She said something that has been eating at me; you're not the only host in town. I'm not sure exactly what she meant by that but I think it may have something to do with Kurenai-sensei and Lord Jiriaya secret regarding Naruto."

"You think so?" Hinata asked.

With a nod Shino returned to his usual posture. In his mind he was becoming more perplexed by the identity of who Naruto was. At first he was just a uninterested fellow student with a penchant for pranks. Then immediately after the graduation test he suddenly became depressed and withdrawn from what he had observed. As a teammate Shino didn't care much for who he was with but as he watched, fought, and observed him Shino in the back of his mind was worried. Everything he had experienced told him that Naruto was a loyal, kind, and pure hearted person who had suffered some great pain. Sure he wanted to be friends with them but his focus on logic

While he didn't say anything more Hinata for the majority of the trip leaving her to wonder what secret could they be hiding from her and Shino about Naruto. Her thoughts continued to circle around this question until night fell. The group split in half between male and females with Shino, Naruto, and Hinata in one tent while Mikon, Kurenai, and herself took residence in another.

As sleep slowly took hold of her Hinata fell into blissful slumber.

Hinata found herself staring out over a mirrored lake as several waterfalls fell from a starry sky. Bush and trees sprinkled the vast field of violet and white Lavander flowers and Lily of the Valley. Hinata stared at the empty lake surface which reflect back the sea of stars that shined overheard from stony cave ceiling from which the waterfalls descended. The starry sky was clearly created by luminescent moss and insects but romantically depicted the milky way shimmering brightly in dazzling bio-luminescence. Looking back up a smile cupped her features as a stound young man appeared before her practicing devotedly before her.

Naruto stood in front of her training upon the surface of the lake as the full moon shining brightly on the sparkling water through the graciously sized hole in the ceiling.

With not a sound she found herself joining him in his training, quietly enjoying the time together as the nightly silence rapped around them like a gentle shroud.

Catching one of his punches she slipped and found Naruto on top of her. Hinata could feel her heart beating fiercely from their sparing and grow in pace faster as his warmth permeated her skin and bandages that wrapped her not so well-endowed chest. Slowly Hinata found Naruto inching closer to her his well-trained muscles from years of training applied greater pressure on her seventeen year old body. His lips approaching ever closer to hers, slowly but surly finding themselves inches away from hers. The soothing sent of ramon fill her senses as joyous anticipation filled her with excitement.

At the moment of contact Mikon's fist violently shot at her jaw jolting her from her desired sleep, shattering her blissful content.

Slightly dazed Mikon turned to see a half dressed Mikon sprawled out unceremoniously. Still dazed from the flailing and dreaming girls left fist Hinata gained enough awareness to dodge Mikon as she flipped over shooting her fist back up as she rolled over to re-occupy her own sleeping bag leveling her left leg to proclaim dominance over the lower half of Hinata's sleeping bag.

Hinata blushed as she realized that most of the girls cloths where sprawled all over the tend and what little she had remaining on her person did little to cover up herself.

Muttering in her sleep Hinata couldn't make out what was said but seeing the girl flail over again this time missing Kurenai by mere inches decided to wait until Mikon settled down to go back to sleep.

Exiting her tent Hinata made to sit down when she noticed the male tent lacked two occupants. Activating her Byakugan Hinata quickly spotted them a few meters away from the camp. Settling down near the dimming fire she waited as several minutes passed. At first she didn't question why the two where together seeing as how Jiraiya and Naruto where to be on lookout after Kurenai took the first shift but as what felt like a few hours past Hinata started to get worried.

Curiosity getting the better of her wonder why they had yet to change the shift Hinata made he way3 quietly to ask them. Just as she came within sight of them she could also make out their conversation as it was carried on the still night air.

"Any perticular reason you haven't told them yet?" Jiraiya asked. Hinata froze for a split second to listen.

"Not really, just knowing sensei she'd start keeping a closer eye on me out of consern. As for Hinata and Shino it just hasn't come up yet." Naruto replied.

Jiriaya nodded before sighing. "Well why don't you tell them now. It's bound to come up eventually and seeing as one of them seems to have woken up you might as well." he said with a slightly teasing tone.

Hinata gasped slightly in embarrassment as she came forward surprising Naruto. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation. She bowed as she apologized as worry about how her actions might cause Naruto to feel.

"It's fine Hinata." Naruto said with a smile while Jiraiya gestured for her to join them.

"I'm guessing Mikon woke you up?" Jiraiya asked.

Nodding Hinata confirmed is thought as he shook his head clearly aware of the girls current state. "That girl. I swear the only time she sleeps peacefully is when she squeezing you to death Kid. Turning his head he smiled at Hinata as he god up form the branch he had been sitting on with Naruto.

"You actually came at a perfect time. I'll head back and cover the watch. Naruto try not to worry about what they might think and relax a bit. Anyway before you start practicing that jutsu I gave you again try talking about it, you'll thank me later." Jiraiya said in all seriousness, making his way to the campsite.

Hinata sat down and silently shot glances at him. This was the same naruto back form the academy who silently worked on whatever seal was present within the pages of his practice journal. Working up the courage she asked, "What where you practicing earlier?"

Naruto looked up at her confused causing Hinata to focus down on her hands. "Well Jiriaya-sama said you where practicing and I was curious... sorry." she said shyly.

Naruto smiled and showed her the palm of his hand. Upon it was a series of stranded marks in a pattern similar to that of a kaleidoscope in the shape of a diamond eched on his hand. At the center was an empty portion where a single dot was located. Hinata watched as the mark faded as Naruto witdrew his hand to explain.

"Jiji tough me how to use the Kanashibari no Jutsu and I've been trying to apply it to this Fuin Tenohira. Its surprisingly difficult."

J/N: Temporary Paralysis Jutsu and Palm Sealing (wanted a seal to explain several acts in the show like Minato's applying his mark on a target for his Hiraishin no Jutsu, basically Minato used this jutsu)

"I've never heard of the Fuin Tenohira. Why are you trying to apply the Kanashibari no Jutsu to it?" Hinata asked.

Naruto grinned as he placed his hand on top of hers. Instantly she blushed and on reflex pulled her hand back. She however was surprised when she couldn't move her hand from beneath his, in fact she realized she couldn't move at all. The moment Naruto removed his hand she found she could move again. Looking at him in amazement she shouted, "That was amazing Naruto-kun, did you just now...?"

Smiling he nodded as he raised his hand again. Pooling his chakra on his palm he revealed the seal and said, "Normally the Kanashibari no Justu requires handseals and skill to effect the target. By using the Fuin Tenohira mark I can activate the jutsu sealed in it instantly so long as I make contact with the target."

A brought his hand in front of him a smiled as he continued, "Right now I'm struggling to get it to work. As you saw right now it only works so long as the mark is constantly touching to person I want to use the jutsu on. But once I figure it out I can Paralyze anyone with a simple touch."

"What about when you improve? If I'm not wrong doesn't the strength of the Kanashibari no Jutsu depend on the users skill? Won't that effect its use when you improve or try to use it?" Hinata asked.

Naruto nodded, "Yeah it will. Jiji told me that the jutsu sealed inside wont improve or degrade and once I improve my skills with the jutsu I simply have to replace the jutsu by clearing the mark and swapping it out later. I guess its kinda like a storage seal in that regard."

"You really are amazing." Hinata muttered out as she looked down at herself.

Naruto noticing her slowly frowning quickly got up. "But you're even more amazing" he shouted causing her to look up at him and his grinning smile.

"I'm nothing like you are. Your so much more amazing then I am." Hinata argued.

Naruto racked his brains trying to find a way to explain just how amazing she was. Seeing her faced reminded him of his own expressions in the mirror before he met Ino and Mikon, before Jiraiya came into his life. Even when they where gone they celebrated his birthday, supported him, and reminded him that life was worth facing and smiling through.

"You really are though. I mean you have the byakugan which allows you to see things far away right. Not to mention that Style of yours that hurts a lot. Not even Shino can make my second guess attacking him like you do. Plus you're even able to keep up with me during training. Sure when we started your stamina blew out first but look at you now. Three months later and you able to keep up with me. No matter what happens even when you down you still push forward."

Hinata looked up as he was smiling his cheeky grin while clearly trying to come up with things to compliment her with. Even to her it was obvious he was trying to make her feel better. The best part was, it was working. A smile appeared and she rubbed her eyes trying not to let tears of joy ruin the moment. "Thanks, Naruto-kun."

Naruto blushed deeply as he saw her smile. The memory of Hinata during the genin gathering resurfaced as he tried to push it back. In an attempt to think of anything else a though occurred to him as he recalled all the compliments he gave.

"Hey, Hinata?" Naruto asked, "Why do you always strike with you hands?"

Hinata stared at him as Naruto mimicked her Jūken style. "I mean I don't think I've seen you use anything but you hands. I mean when I fight I use my elbows, knees, kicks, pretty much anything."

"Well that's because its the Hyuuga style. We release chakra from our hands to strike are opponents chakra network." Hinata started to explain.

Rubbing his head Naruto questioned, "Yeah but why only use you hands. I mean can't you do the same thing with like any other strike? I mean during tree climbing we had to release chakra through the soles of our feet. Doesn't that mean you can do a Jūken strike with other parts of your body?"

Hinata was about to deny the possibility but caught herself as the question seemed possible. Could she use the Jūken strike with other parts of her body? Juken required a controlled and focused blast of chakra to be released from the users tenketsu. If the tree walking exercise required releasing controlled amount of chakra through the soles of ones feet couldn't the same surgical like precision required for the Gentle Fist be used in the same way? As she started to question it the more it seemed possible to do.

Slowly Hinata opened her mouth and answered, "I-I think it could be possible. I don't think its ever been done before though."

Naruto smiled brilliantly as he began to jump up an down. "That's awesome, you could be like the first full body Juken user."

Hinata nearly fell back at Naruto excitement as she quickly shot him down. "No way, there's no way I could do that. It be like making a whole new style of fighting. Someone like me couldn't possible..."

"Sure you can. If someone like me who can't even master a basic jutsu like the clone jutsu can make his own style then someone as talented as you can surly do it." Naruto shouted proudly.

Hinata blushed as she twiddled her forefingers, "Y-you really think so?"

"Positive. There's no way you couldn't do, dattebayo!" Naruto declared as he grabbed her hand. "Come on, I'll help out."

"N-Naruto-kun!?" Hinata blushed out in distress. Naruto was holding her hand. Naruto was acturally holding her hand. Looking up at him Hinata stared at his focused gaze, happy and confident. As she looked she could feel the warmth of his hand reaching her cheeks. Slowly she relaxed and let herself be swept up in the feelings and go along with Naruto's plan.

Even if she couldn't do it, just being with Naruto who had absolute confidence in her was more then enough for her.

Throughout the night the two practiced, Hinata on trying to use the Juken style with various body parts while Naruto acted as her own personal punching bag. Eventually Hinata succumb to sleep and passed out. Picking her up Naruto snuck into the women's tent and placed Hinata in her sleeping bag which had apparently suffered from Mikon's constant assaults. Writing a quick repelling seal on the side where Mikon lay Naruto snuck back out and decided to sleep a little and enjoy the pleasant dreams he was positive he would have.

The next morning Naruto awoke and wasn't surprised to find Mikon had found herself on his sleeping bag. Noticing Shino and Jiraiya weren't present he slipped out from Mikon's Iron grip and headed out.

Spotting Jiraiya and Shino by the campfire he walked over to join them. Looking at Shino Naruto had trouble stiffiling a laughter as the Aburame was sporting a shiner under his left eye.

"Let me guess, Mikon?" Naruto asked still trying not to laugh. With a curt nod Naruto lost it and burst out laughing.

"Whats going on?" Hinata asked drowsily as she came out from her tent with Kurenai out right behind her.

"Shino got nailed by Mikon." Naruto stated presently rolling on the floor.

Kurenai sighed in exasperation at Naruto's shenanigans.

"Speaking of whom, where is Mikon?" Kurenai asked.

Jiraiya snickered as he pointed towards their tent. Puzzled Kurenai went over to investigate. Eyeing Naruto he brought his finger over his mouth while winking. Naruto quickly realized what he was doing and did his best not to make a peep.

Hinata noticing this was confused as she looked between the two of them. She was also curious as to when she had fallen asleep as the last thing she could remember was practicing with Naruto last night. A slight blush graced her cheeks.

"Good Lord! Mikon Umegaki! What do you think you're doing!?" Kurenai shrieked.

"WHAA! Kurenai-sensei what?... DAMN YOU JIJI!"

Naruto and Jiriya broke out in laughter as Shino looked down and Hinata blushign away as Mikon bolted back to her tent to retreive her missing cloths but giving enough time to give an evil eye towards Jiraiya.

"Ojisan, that was mean of you." Naruto coughed out.

"Maybe. But perhaps now she'll learn not to go sneaking into you tent when you're traveling." he laughed out. "Figured if she won't listen to me, Kurenai's surprise visit would teach her something."

Calming down Naruto retorted, "That might be true but you didn't figure one thing into your plan."

"Oh, and what would that be?"

"Angry Kurenai-senesi." Naruto muttered.

Looking up Jiraiya could see Kurenai glaring at him clearly demanding an explanation. Gulping slightly Jiraiya glanced at Naruto and agreed, "You know I think you're right."

For most of the remaining journey Jiraiya had tried to calm Kurenai down and had explained Mikon's quirk regarding sneaking into bed with Naruto as well as her more rambunctious sleeping habit of fighting everything and everyone in her sleep. Habits that despite Kurenai's best efforts couldn't be undone as even when keeping watch for her Mikon somehow managed to get past her watchful gaze. Though on their fourth night she did catch her only for Hinata to suffer that night, having to sleep outside less she be assaulted by Mikon's violent sleeping tendencies.

Watching the two of them go back and forth regarding him not stopping her and or suppressing her fighting habit in her sleep Naruto was left to snicker at his Ojisan's torment. He knew better then anyone the pointless endeavor that was stopping Mikon from odd sleeping quirks. Either she fought you in her sleep and punched you out or she would sneak into his bed and crush him in peaceful tranquility. The later of which he had gotten use to long ago.

Much to Jiriaya's please on the sixth day the group had reach the town where Jiraiya's informant was residing. Not missing a beat he grabbed Mikon and bid Team Eight farewell and dashing away before Kurenai could lecture him further.

Wait Jiji, I wanted to show Naruto and Hina-chan where the good vendors are, Wait a second damn it!" Mikon shouted as she fought the Sanin's grasp on her.

Kurenai shook her head in exasperation both out of missing her chance to reprehend the Sanin as well as the presentation that Mikon flailing down his back presented to onlookers who gazed to see what the commotion was about.

"Honestly, I'm surprised that someone like that is one of the Sanin." Kurenai muttered.

"He's surprisingly different from what I imagined." Hinata said.

Shino and Naruto both nodded in agreement. Whispering to Hinata and Shino Naruto muttered, "Though he's great to have around when training. I mean he helped a lot when we spared yesterday."

Again Shino and this time Hinata nodded in agreement.

"Seriously you think he would raise her better then that." Kureani complained turning to head in the direction of the border.

"It's not like he hasn't tried. Mikon always finds her way on top of me no matter what he does. Jiji even put a paralysis seal on her and she still managed to find her way into my room." Naruto stated trying to calm her down a bit. "I think he just wanted to embarrass her to see if she'd improve or not."

Kurenai gave him a look of disapproval to which Naruto quickly recognized. "I didn't say it would work. Even you had trouble stopping her. She not that good at stealth unless she's asleep or under a lot of pressure."

"Yet you knew this would happen." she stated.

"Yeah. At this point I don't even think about it. Use to it and all." Naruto muttered quickly realizing that wasn't something he should have said. Quickly changing the subject he asked. "Anyway, Kurenai-sensei how close are we to the border."

"We're not that far off Naruto, a few hours walk and we'll be able to see the Border Patrols Base of Operations. And don't think you off the hook just because you changed the subject."

Naruto gulped loudly at hearing this though he missed the teasing nature behind it that Hinata had no trouble picking up.

As the Team made their way into the forest area past the Town Naruto slowly felt his happy feelings slip away and be replaced with a slimy tar like sensation that ate at him as the walked. He felt it everywhere but strongly in whenever he faced directly in the direction of the dirt path they where walking on. Tension built in Naruto as the sensation grinded at his nerves.

"Naruto-kun, its okay you know. I think Kurenai was just kidding before." Hinata said picking up on Naruto's sudden spike in tension.

Naruto shook he head. "Something doesn't feel right. It feels sickish, slimy almost, like something bad is gonna happen here. I feel like I've felt it before." The tension seemed to bleed into an almost panicked tone as he spoke which caused Kurenai some slight concern.

Kurenai spoke calmly as she looked at Naruto. "Calm down Naruto, It's probably just nerves due to being so far out from the Land of Fire. We're close to our mission's destination so you don't have to worry to much. If anything happens we'll handle it as a Team."

Hinata smiled and nodded, "She right. We can do handle it as a team. Right Shino?"

Nodding Shino agreed, "The three of us are all capable ninja, we just have to –"

"DIE YOU DAMN LEAF SHINOBI!"

Instantly Kurenai Shino and Hinata spun around as an Iwa ninja came flying out from the left.

It happened in an instant, Three Iwa ninja came flying our from in front of them attacking in a blind rage surprising Team eight in the process. But no later did he finish that statement Kurenai's focused all of her senses to combat readiness. The moment she did however caused her to focus not on the Iwa shinobi but the flash of Orange that blurred through her field straight at the foremost Iwa Ninja.

It didn't even last a second in that single moment Naruto's Kunai was implanted into the charging Iwa's forehead. The wasn't even a sound, not so much as a gasp of surprise, only instant death. The Ninja's momentum aiding Naruto blade strait towards its goal.

The two Iwa Ninja paused for a moment in shock. Unsure of what happened their minds were left vulnerable to Kurenai's Genjutsu. The last thing they saw before passing out was demonic furry glaring down at its kill ready for to end the next threat.

Shino who was in mid process of unleashing his swarm was dumbfounded.

Hinata stood in shock as she stared at Naruto who was now struggling to pull his kunai out from its victim.

Kurenai still cautious looked in surprise at Naruto but then at the three Iwa shinobi. "What in the world was that about?" she asked herself before quickly shaking her head.

"You three battle formation. We're run to the Border patrol. Be on guard." Kurenai commanded.

Hinata and Shino remained silent as Naruto responded, "You got it, sensei."

Naruto wasn't smiling but nor was he scared. His face was focused with concern and kept his senses sharp.

Charging through the trees now Kurenai knew that something wasn't right. What was Iwa Shinobi doing attacking like that. She wondered if something happened. Concern building she sent a quick glance towards Naruto. Her questions seemed to only grow more.

 **Iwa Border**

"How could this have happened."

"How should I know just run. We have to make back and tell everyone that Konoha's GYAAA!"

The young women with pink irises turned around in shock to watch a fellow shinobi was pierced clean through by a blood red spear.

"Suzu! Damn you, you bastard!" she shouted, turning in rage just as her remaining compatriot grabbed her by the waste, carrying her off before she could charge at their assailant.

"Let me go Akatsuchi!" the girl cried out defiantly pounding her fists on the rotund boys back. However the boy shook his head and calmly replied. "We can't win against him. The Chunin guarding the post where dropping like flies we have to run and tell the Tsuchikage!"

before the girl even got the chance to say a word a massive tailwind blew from behind them. Akatsuchi loosing his footing fell forward loosing his grip on the girl who rolled to a hard stop against a nearby tree. Pushing himself up he saw a man squatting mere inches from his face. Spinning the Crimson weapon haphazardly he smiled as he asked, "Hey kid, you wouldn't happen to have anything on some punk called Deidara would ya?"

 **Shorter this month due to heavy workload currently 11:11 and still haven't gotten the time to edit it. Oh-well Hope you all enjoy this chapter try not to hate how raw it is. Next month Shino gets his time (if it writes itself as I planned) in the spotlight.**

 **Chapter 11: Freedom X Stone X Leaf**

 **PS Happy Halloween to all and to the kids that came to my door wear some real costumes damn it. It's Halloween for peat-sake. Not Sports day at your local school (vexation face emote here)**

 **Thank your for letting me vent.**

 **-White**

 **PS hope you all enjoyed the double chapters. Kinda surprised that Chapter 9 didn't go through last month and more surprised no body told me or even asked, Hey white wheres the post you promised this week. Meh go figure.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; have fun with that.**

 **Chapter 11** **:: Freedom X Stone X Leaf**

Team eight rushed through the forest at the fastest speed they could manage while maintaining consistent vigilance of their surroundings. In a diamond formation Kurenai guided the trio towards Konoha's Border Patrol base of operations. Hinata on left and Naruto on right took up wing positions so as to respond accordingly to an enemy attack. Be that charging towards the front or providing defensive support for Shino who took up the rear.

The squad was eerily quiet as the trio rushed ahead. For most of the team a single surprise racked their minds.

Hinata glanced at Naruto with worry mix with disbelief. Naruto had just killed someone.

As far as she could tell Naruto wasn't even effected by it. That wasn't to say he wasn't worried. Far from it. Even without living with hundreds of Hyuuga who all forced her to read poker-like expressions daily, anyone would have been able to tell how tense and on edge Naruto was.

She watched as Naruto jittered like a squirrel hyped on a cup of coffee. His head twitched left then, right, back again, then up, and back again. Worried he might be suffering from what he had done Hinata opened her mouth to try and help calm him a bit but couldn't find the words she wished to speak. Looking down in disappointment she resigned herself to simply watching out for trouble. Maybe this time she wouldn't stand still in shock and could help Naruto.

"Sensei"

Hinata looked up at Naruto and then to Kurenai. Kurenai looked back at Naruto her expression unchanged from earlier. A mix of concern, anxiousness, and worry clouded her eyes.

"Whats the matter?" she asked.

"Well um... are you upset with what I did? You feel really... um, on edge." Naruto stated.

A smile graced her features briefly, lighting the tense atmosphere that surrounded the. "No Naruto, in fact I'm quite proud of your quick response. The moment you identified the danger your responded without hesitation and didn't hold back to protect your team. Although it was reckless and your team wasn't ready to back you up I don't hold that against any of you. Shino and Hinata lack froze purely from lack of experience. With time that hesitation will vanish. You are all after genin and kids even if by societal definitions state your adulthood.

Nodding Naruto jokingly said, "Old enough to kill, right?"

Kurenai face twisted slightly. "I always hated that praise."

Looking at Naruto she asked with slight concern, "Naruto are you handling the situation right now alright?"

Naruto hesitated but nodded with a small smile. "Ojisan taught me that after what I did to just remind myself that I didn't take a life but saved two." A pained expression flashed briefly before Naruto continued, "He did it the first chance he got after that incident."

Kurenai nodded in understanding. Before looking quickly at the other two members. Aside from Hinata's signs of concern which seemed to have been alleviated by their conversation the two fellow members of the team showed no signs of Shell Shock. However they did seem overly whelmed by Naruto's actions. Even Shino's stoic presence seemed to emanate a aggressive and agitated buzzing.

"Naruto" she said regaining his attention. "I'll let you decide whether or not to tell them about that tragic event. Get ready you three we're coming up on the abandoned fort.

Looking and understanding what Kurenai had told him, Naruto could see the stone fortress ruins that Kurenai spoke of.

The Fort was more of a ruin then a fortified base. Naruto pondered if it was once used by samurai but seeing as it could no longer block of hold back any kind of siege without enormous effort to repair it had been abandoned by them long ago. The Moss, vines, and flora that now sprinkled and consumed it however blended the stone structure in perfectly with the fortress providing plenty of hiding spots and cover from prying eyes. No longer suited for Samurai combat the structure now served as a perfectly hidden base of operations for Ninja to do their duty.

"Somethings not right." Kurenai muttered as they approached.

Entering the fort team eight was greeted with an empty venue. Not a trace of life could be found.

"Split up," Kurenai commanded, "Shino, Naruto. You search the west side. Hinata, you come with me. We'll search the east side. If you find something don't shout or draw attention... Naruto. Have Shino call for us with his insects. Stay on guard all of you"

The two members nodded as Naruto rolled his eyes grunting while following in Shino's wake.

Hinata looked at Kurenai anxiously, her nerves trembling violently in the presence of the empty base. "Kurenai-sensei, is splitting up really a good idea?"

Kurenai wished she could say it was, but time was not on their side. Something was clearly wrong and they had no information to inform them of what it was. Iwa ninja attacking on sight, The border patrol missing with what so far looked to be without a struggle, and this strange worry festering within the pit of her stomach. No she couldn't say it was a good idea but what they needed now was a sign. Anything at all to tell them that they should withdraw and report the crisis or push forward to investigate in detail. Smiling she nodded and replacing it with an expression of focus gestured with he hand for her to follow.

She truthfully hated these kinds of choices.

Shino and Naruto made there way silently through the ruins of stone and moss, avoiding vines and other flora that might give away their presence. Naruto called upon all the lessons Kurenai had taught him about stealth as well as his experience involving being stealthy.

Shino who was just behind him suddenly stopped. Naruto noticing this turned to see what was wrong. Quietly Shino pointed to the direction of the northern exit. Nodding Naruto followed after Shino as they went to investigate.

"Shino its just an arch way. Whats the matter?" Naruto asked. Shino had pointed at the arch and was closely examining a crevice that scared the stone structure.

"Look closer. It is unnatural. The stone is decaying and breaking down faster then it should naturally." 

Looking at it closer Naruto noticed it as well. That stone itself was breaking apart and withering away as if it was being grinded down by a harsh wind. Naruto looked around and spotted several other instances of the same thing everywhere. Trees which looked to be cut where showing signs as if they cut was becoming larger and wider then before, Severed vines dangling growing shorter and shorter as if something was eating them.

What in the world is going on. Naruto climbed a nearby tree while Shino was using his bugs to investigate the strange marks. From his vantage point Naruto could see what appeared to be a pattern. The "decaying marks" where all over the fort and their seemed to be leading out towards the Iwa border. As Naruto was about to head back down sudden movement off in the distance caught his eye.

On the other side of the ruins Kurenai and Hinata also took notice of the strange damage to the old ruins.

"Well Hinata?"

Hinata merely shook her head. "I can't see anything. There's no chakra at all."

Kurenai allowed her thoughts to ponder as to what was going on. Judging from all the cuts it seemed that there was a fight yet there are still no signs of a struggle.

"What does that mean?"

Kurenai shook her head at Hinata's question. "I don't know Hinata. Something turned within the pit of her stomach, something was definitely wrong yet she didn't know why.

"Hinata lets join up with Naruto and Shino. Perhaps the two of them have found something on their end."

Following after Kurenai Hinata wondered what could have happened to the shinobi stationed here.

It didn't take them long to find Shino who was still investigating the strange signs of damage. Not looking from his work he simple muttered in acknowledge of her presence.

"Sensei. Hinata."

"Find anything Shino?" Kurenai asked to which he gave no sign of response. Standing up he looked at her, "It is very strange. There is damage, unnatural damage to the fort, yet there is no sign of chakra being used to cause it, let alone continue to damage it."

Yeah we saw the same thing on our end." Hinata asked before looking around and meekly asking, Um- Where's Naruto?"

Naruto not giving Shino a chance to talk fell from the sky and landed surprisingly quietly. Though the stone cracked and caused some dust to fly up it was by no means as loud as it could have been.

"Naruto! What are you-" Kurenai started to ask.

"There are survivors!" Naruto shouted as he pointed past the gate. "By a stone ravine a mile or two that way"

Kurenai looked at him her eyes focused on Naruto. "Are you sure Naruto?"

Naruto nodded vigorously. He could clearly see three Konoha Chunin jackets as well as one of their headbands sporting Konoha's mark.

Explaining this Kurenai was left with a decision. The border patrol was clearly attacked. The ruins showed hidden signs of an attack. Iwa ninja had attacked them on the way there. This left her with the assumption that Iwa had attack. However there was no evidence pointing to Iwa. If there where survivors then their survival would be vital as they where a clear witness to the events and could inform them as to what happened.

Looking at her genin reminded her the reason behind her hesitation. She was their sensei, their superior and her responsibility. She knew what she had to do as the potential threat of Iwa attack could very well lead to another Shinobi War. The sooner they recovered evidence the sooner Konoha would know how to react and whether to protect themselves or go on the offensive. Yet...

She shook her head allowing a memory of the previous war to wash over her thoughts. As she recalled the horror and loss that the war brought her home and herself swayed her to make a choice. It was with the final memory of her father that she made her decision.

"Hinata, Naruto, Shino follow closely." She said rush off through the archway.

Following closely behind her the trio pursued after her. As the flew through the forested area it took only a few minutes to reach the area Naruto had spotted the injured Shinobi. The Shinobi in question was laying passed out. A cut the size of a Naruto's forearm was etched into his leg, bleeding profusely.

Hinata rushed forward to help close the wound, cleaning it her water pouch. As the water pored over the wound to clean it Shino stood at the read with Naruto, Unleashing his swarm of insects to form a perimeter with Naruto at the ready to intercept. Kurenai kneeling beside the injured chunin was quickly applying bandages to the would in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

As she applied the bandages the two women found a problem that was quickly escalating. The chunin's wound wasn't improving, it was worsening.

"Sensei... t-the blood is- it isn't stopping." Hinata stammered out.

"Just try to keep the would clean Hinata. Damn-" Kurenai muttered under her breath, "The wound isn't clotting. If we don't stop the bleeding we'll lose him. Shino! How are our surroundings?"

Shino still focusing on his swarm calmly replied, "Clear, there are no enemies within fifty meters, expanding perimeter search."

Naruto listened in with only half an ear. Something was making him uneasy. It was a sense of déjà vu. Naruto felt like this once before. The memory hit him like a punch from Tsunade.

Naruto standing in the forest just near the Academy walking with Ino. Otherwise enjoying the night air. Planning out what they would do once they entered the Academy grounds. The cold crisp air haunting the night as a black assailant sought out his target. Glaring eyes that seek the death of another piercing through his and Ino's backs.

"NARUTO!"

Naruto broke out of his trance in a cold sweat, Kurenai gripping his shoulders. Naruto was hyperventilating his cold sweat seeping into his jumpsuit and jacket.

"Focus Naruto. Do you have any bandages on you we need to stop the bleeding." Kurenai asked sternly.

Regaining his senses Naruto nodded. Pulling a paper tag which transformed into a series of bandages with a puff of smoke. Handing them over Naruto's eyes glazed over slightly as he fought back the back breaking unease that shadowed his actions. As he handed the bandages over he saw the chunin struggling in he unconscious state to stay alive.

As Naruto stared at him the sight of a bloody and dying Ino replaced the wounded Chunin. Naruto's eyes widened and he quickly turned around squeezing them shut. "It's not real-" he told himself, "Ojisan said that it wasn't my fault, I did the best that I could. She's alive, my actions may have hurt her but she was alive. I killed but it wasn't because I wanted to. I did it so they could live. Your not at fault, Focus! It- it's not real."

As Naruto fought with his inner most thoughts a sudden chill halted all worries he had. Instantly they turned into panic as Naruto felt as sudden presence of piercing eyes that mirrored death. A gaze looking for the death of another.

Naruto jolted into his stance facing what he believed to be the source of the gaze. "Shino!" was all Naruto could manage to get out. The gaze was unpleasantly similar to the one he felt that night. While the gaze that night wanted to revel in the thralls of killing this one was cold and felt focused... bored.

Before Naruto could even respond and speak to warn Shino that something was coming. A girl came flying through the forest at blistering speed. Her body smashed into Shino knocking him out as he crashed into the giant bolder that the injured Ninja was leaning against.

"SHINO!"

Rising from her position Hinata went to check on Shino as concern consuming her thoughts. Naruto swallowing the rising panic in his mind stood ready behind Kurenai who took position in front of him.

"Shino is Hinata okay?"

Seeing as she was only dazed Shino nodded. "She is alright. Just knocked out."

Naruto let out a sigh of relief before refocusing on the still looming danger approaching them. While Naruto was fully focused on the shadows within the forest, Kurenai found her attention spit between the unknown and the girl that had come flying into Hinata.

"That's an Iwa shinobi." Kurenai realized. Glancing over her body it was clear the girl had been roughed up and attacked. "Wasn't Iwa attacking? Was the fort attacked by a third party?" As if to answer her question an arrogant voice nonchalantly called their attention.

"Damn more of you. Geez you think Iwa was a breeding farm or something for ninja. Hold on a second, aren't those leaf outfits on ya? Damn it, not again. You punks aren't gonna attack me like the last group are you?"

Waltzing forward toward the team stood a single man wielding two long weapons. A single intricate blood red weapon in his right hand, and single dark-silver weapon with a mirror like polish to it.

"What kind of weapons are those?" Naruto asked aloud practically shouting it.

"Those are spears Naruto, weapons which have a long reach and a sharp blade at the end. They're rarely used in the Elemental Nations though since they originate far toward the west. " Kurenai answered. Turning to face the apparently young man she demanded, "Who are you? Why are you attacking?"

"Name's Lancer. As for why I'm attacking, well I'm not –" He answered pointing his red spear directly at the girl that was sent flying. I'm not really attacking anyone except those who attacked me and have what I'm looking for."

"And what might I ask are you looking for?"

Snickering at Kurenai's question he answered, "Information."

"Information?"

"Maybe you have some." Lancer continued, ignoring Kurenai's question. "Tell me, what do you know about a person called Deidara?"

"The Terrorist Bomber?"

"That's the one, or so I'm guessing. Know anything about him?"

"Only that he is not apart of Konoha and that he's a wanted terrorist."

Lancer slouched down into a crouch as he sighted out loud. He was clearly disappointing almost looking gloomy as he stared at the ground. "Damn, and here I was hoping to get something solid. Well no matter the kid is knocked out so asking her shouldn't be too much of a problem."

Kurenai realizing his goal and subconsciously moved to position herself between the unconscious girl and Lancer. "Why are you after this child?"

Lancer held back a laugh. "Simple. She knows Deidara and I want that info. My illusive boss wants that information. Supposedly the punks joined this Akatsuki group and wants more intelligence on them."

Kurenai eye's nearly gave away her surprise and interest but luckily it appeared Lancer didn't seem to notice. Calming herself Kurenai tried to learn as much as she could about this man. Jiraiya had warned her about the group that was hunting down the tailed beasts. Seeing as they would be after Naruto at some point he believed she should be told the risks of teaching and leading Naruto on missions. To his surprise and pleasure Kurenai accepted the risks promising to keep Naruto safe no matter the cost.

"You see the boss doesn't like this group apparently and wants whatever intel he can get on them. And judging from you reaction-" Lancer grinned mockingly, "You know something about them."

Kurenai jumped in her skin, cursing her own carelessness for giving away her reaction to the knowledge of Akatsuki like a rank amateur.

Rising up, leading with his right foot lance held back his spears taking an offensive posture against Kurenai. "Pretty sure it's pointless to ask but mind telling me what you know about them?"

Kurenai hesitated for a moment raising her hand to Naruto who had slowly been inching his way closer to support her. "Naruto step back and look after those four behind you.

He looked at the two girls, Shino and the still bleeding Chunin. Every instinct in his body screamed at him to fight with her. Even as a distraction he could help her. However one look into her eyes killed this desire and he back off. Naruto had seen that look before on Jiriaya one before a long time ago though at the time Naruto himself was a mess and barely aware of anything going on. "Sensei, I can also... no I understand." Naruto started to say still wanting to help but submissively followed her orders.

Stepping back Naruto watched as Kurenai began casting a genjutsu before instantly vanishing in a spiraling gale of wind.

"That's what I thought." Lancer declared as he advanced with his silver lance, lunging forward her sought to strike where Kurenai had been standing. At the last second Kurenai evaded the strike in time to watch as the silver lance visible cut through her jutsu revealing her presence if only for a moment.

Grinning Lancer spun his silver lance in his hand to better grip the tail end before making a sweeping motion at Kurenai. The lance cut through her jutsu completely revealing her form much to her dismay.

Not taking a second to hesitate lest she be caught off guard Kurenai went through a series of hand signs which causing several vines to sprout from the ground and lunge at Lancer to bind him within their grasp. In a flurry of strikes and whirling blades Lance cut though the vines seeking to bind him before backing off enough to perform another sweeping motion with his silver lance while the red one fended off the plants. The moment he swung his silver lance, the vines vanished and a smile of enjoyment graced his lips.

"Genjutsu huh? And not that bad either. Quite impressive. The last Genjutsu fighter I went up against was a completely disappointing. Didn't even last two minutes against my Kurogin (Black Silver)." Lancer praised. "Lets see how well you do."

"That spear. It cut apart my jutsu?" Kurenai muttered aloud more to herself then anyone present.

She had never heard of such a weapon before. The weapon alone put her at a disadvantage but even worse was the fact that it's owner was clearly a close combat type who focus on speed and precise strikes. Without her genjutsu's usual effectiveness she would be at a clear disadvantage if she couldn't miss lead him.

As the two continued to dance Kurenai found herself having difficulty keeping out of his reach. Even with multiple tricks and deceptions Lance dodged, blocked, and evaded her attacks with ease. Even invisible the man seemed to be able to see exactly were she was and use his spears to deflect any incoming attack. And when his spears where occupied with her vines when that managed to catch him off guard he's simple evaded the oncoming attack with quick footwork and acrobatics.

For Kurenai the worst part of all was his ability to cut through her genjutsu. This alone made him far more troublesome opponent. Given enough breathing space the man would have no trouble beating her. As such she was left with trying to keep him off balance and pressured at all times.

Judging from his reactions the man himself impressed Kurenai as she had to admit that his combat experienced was frighteningly good, possessing a battle sense that seemed to predict her actions as she planned them. His experience reminded her of one of her sparing matches with Asuma.

Putting her hands together in the sign of the rat, Kurenai created no less then fourteen clones of herself while simultaneously creating the illusion that a smoke bomb went off.

Lancer no longer smiling seemed disappointed. "Is that all you got? I already told you-" clearly irritated that Kurenai was a one trick pony, "-Such cheap tricks won't work against my Kurogin!" Lancer declared as he swung his spear violently creating a strong breeze that seemed to blow away the illusions, all with the exception of one.

"Impossible..." Lancer muttered out as the grey smokescreen remained looming over himself and his lance. No sooner did he drop his guard Kurenai appeared beneath him with a kunai aim straight for his throat.

Naruto watched entranced as Kurenai went for his throat. "She did it!" He exclaimed prematurely.

Unfortunately Lancer seeing the threat bent almost in half, dodging with a simple back-flipped as Kurenai's blade cut harmlessly where he had stood. Reeling backward Lancer readied to counter attack only to feel the cold embrace of Kurenai's Kunai as it plunged into his back. Feeling the blade Lancer spun around swinging at the air as Kurenai dodge gracefully out of his way. 

Spontaneously to the surprise of all those awake and aware Lancer started laughing. It wasn't the laughter of a mad man though given the situation it could have been interpreted as such. No, it was laughter born from the wind coming straight from ones stomach. A joyous kind of laughter. There he stood with a blade in his back laughing like someone had told him the most life altering joke imaginable.

"That's more like it! I didn't even see that coming and I should have." He bellowed out. "You used smoke bombs along with an illusionary smokescreen. And even boldly used a clone jutsu to catch me further off guard by getting in close." Lancer continued to laugh clutching his stomach as he rested his silver lance on his shoulder while placing the red one on the ground.

"You're a lot more capable then those I fought earlier. While they died because they attacked me, there is no way I'm gonna hold back against someone like you now."

He found it humorous. He had dodged right into her real attack and all because he looked down on her. After placing his crimson lance down her grabbed his silver one in his right hand. Widening his stance he held his lance by the haft behind him pointing downward while pacing his left hand on the ground in front of him. Low to the ground his stance screamed of an impending full speed jab with his lance.

Kurenai taking in her surroundings quick confirmed that her team was not behind her thus at risk of his strike, readied to counter it with several illusions.

Shino currently watching the fight glanced at Naruto who was also still watching. Naruto too enthralled with the high level battle taking place before him, to which he believed Kurenai was winning, failed to notice a physical warning that had presented itself that something was about to happen. His body for but a brief moment shivered. Not due to nerves, nor sensory input. No it was his chakra and Shino's insect picked up on this sudden spike just Lancer charged at Kurenai.

Faster then either of the two could follow, Lancer jabbed straight through Kurenai practically teleportation in front of her. As he pierced her a log replaced her corpse like body as she shimmered into existence with several kunai already in mid flight toward Lancer. With the sound of flesh sputtering the kunai landed their mark bringing Lancer to his knee.

Shino who had just gained awareness of what was happening mere seconds before managed to mutter aloud. "Kurenai-sensei won."

Shino relaxed causing the tension in his shoulders to visibly bleed out. It was painfully obvious how the situation had left him on Edge. Hinata who had just came to be conscious and who had quickly sized up the that Kurenai had been fighting off a powerful enemy was visibly happy. Naruto who to relaxed quickly seized up as the sudden realization that a his body was screaming at him. His cells screaming at him to move as every inch of his body simultaneously itched and ached at the same time.

Naruto wasn't given the opportunity to figure out why either as shier horror clouded his thoughts. He watched as Kurenai clutched her stomach as a coat of red painted her white outfit a deep crimson. Blood dripped down her body as she fell to the ground clutching her gut. Shino and Naruto stood paralyzed as Lancer stood up pulling the kunai within his reach out of his back.

"Well can't say that wasn't enjoyable but it can't be helped." he declared, turning around to watch Kurenai bleed out. "Can you feel it, your own chakra stagnating within your body. I've felt it before myself. Pretty uncomfortable right?"

As Kurenai struggled back to her feet, Lancer, holding out his silver spear boasted, "This spear is called Kurogin and as you guessed can cut down any chakra it touches." Charging towards her he shouted "Too bad you miss-interpreted what that meant!" 

Kurenai, too wounded to evade complete allowed the spear to clip her shoulder. Brushing up against her ear Lancer stated calmly a clearly. "But Kurogin isn't the reason you lost. The reason you lost is because you didn't focus on Kurenai there."

As lancer jumped backward away from her, Kurenai noticed the glimmer of wire shine in the corner of her eye. Realization hit her full force as she summoned all of her strength to dodge what she knew was coming.

Lancer pulling the wire with full force summoned forth the crimson spear that he had place down on the ground. The spear now hurtling straight toward Kurenai shined menacingly in the suns rays. Using all of her strength she was able to move enough. While she wouldn't have dodged completely she would escape with not but a minor scratch.

As the spear approached Kurenai, Lancer frowned giving the wire one last tug.

To his surprise however the blade did not touch Kurenai. In fact to everyone's surprise, including Kurenai it didn't hit her. Naruto in a sudden panic had lunged forward and kicked the spear tail end causing it to diverge away from Kurenai and toward Lancer who caught it in his hands.

"Naruto! What are you doing! I told you to watch after Shino and the injured. Go back and protect them."

Naruto, standing before Kurenai was shaking from head to toe. Every cell in his body yelling at him to do as Kurenai commanded. Encouraging him to do so. But it wasn't out of fear. Naruto's body didn't shake from fear, it shook as if warning him of the threat before him. Naruto could feel it, a dark feeling emanating from the crimson spear far greater then that of the silver spear Lancer called Kurogin.

While his senses screamed at him of the danger involved in taking action, Naruto himself was ready to act upon his instincts. The very instincts which instructed him to protect his comrades. And protect them he would.

Lancer stared at his spear and then back at Naruto. "Did this kid...?" He wondered as he replayed the blonds spectacular entrance. At the speed it was moving, even Naruto could have caught the spear. But no, Naruto kicked it, and of all places he kicked it near the center away from the bladed edge. Lancer doubted it was possible but couldn't shake the thought that maybe the kid did realize Kurenai's mistake.

With spear in hand he charged Naruto, the kunai in his back and the numerous injuries from fighting Iwa ninja slowing him down, thrust the crimson spear at him. Naruto dodged it and moved out of the way. Another thrust and Naruto kicked it down and away. Lancer brought around his silver spear this time cutting Naruto.

Naruto however didn't flinch and through a punch right into his gut causing him to stagger slightly. Thrusting with his red spear again Naruto dodged again by jumping far out of its reach. Swinging Kurogin around he made ready to hit Naruto with the silver spear and watched as Naruto let the spear hit him. Ignoring the spear itself Naruto threw out his right hand seizing opportunity, he grabbed lancer.

The seal on his palm activated and paralyzed Lancer in place. Naruto who during all of this had been ignoring Kurenai's orders to withdraw stared at her with a cold and calculated glare. Turning to Hinata and Shino Naruto shouted with a cold finality to his voice. "Shino! Hinata! Take Kurenai and that chunin and run!"

"Wha!?" Kurenai gasped out as the sudden motion of shock caused her to sputter out more blood both from there mouth and her gut.

"Naruto we can't leave you!" Hinata cried out.

"Shut up and do as I say. He's out of our league and Kurenai's too wounded to fight him. I can hold him here but I don't know how long my jutsu will last." Naruto shouted. "Do as I say and go! If you stay we'll all die. His red spear is dangerous. If we let it touch us I'm certain we'll die, dattebayo! Please!

Shino calmly taking in everything made no indication of his movements as he rushed over to Kurenai. Kneeling beside her he unleashed a swarm of bug which encircled Naruto.

Applying a cloth to Kurenai's wound he lifted her up using his shoulder to support her weight. Glancing over at the chunin they had been tending to he focused his gaze back onto Hinata.

Not glance at Naruto he said calmly, "My insects will try to help you as best they can."

Carrying Kurenai with him her returned to where Hinata was and pulled her up by the arm. "Hinata we have to go."

Before Hinata could even argue he dragged the two of them into the forest and out of sight.

Naruto sighed in relief as he refocused his gaze on Lancer. Naruto watched as Lancers face greeted him with a smile, eerily similar to the one he shared with Kurenai earlier. "You're different-" Lancer stated, "I don't know how but you're different aren't you? You really think you'll fair any better then you sensei?"

Naruto looked at the spear and then at Lancer. "Don't know really." Naruto admitted but grinning madly said, "But I have you pinned her for now. Not sure what will happen until I try."

Lancer frowned at this. "Pinned?" he asked. Breaking Naruto's jutsu will easy her jerked his arm raising his spear up he pointed it at Naruto. "And here I had such hopes for you." he muttered disappointingly.

As he brought his red spear down on him, Naruto jokingly chuckled, "Oh well." as if he was as disappointed in himself as lancer was. Biting his tongue Naruto opened his mouth and spat a mandarin sized ball of paper which hit Lancer square in the face.

Before Lancer could guess what had hit him, Naruto had released him leaving him further stupefied. This single second of uncertainty was all Naruto needed as the ball of paper instantly ignited. Naruto rushing over the ravine, grabbed the Iwa ninja in his haste to shield her from the enormous explosion that was spawned behind him. Falling down into the ravine Naruto's last sight before blacking out was that of the roaring flames surging over the chasm.

Shino now supported by Hinata carried Kurenai who had passed out from blood loss. Watched as the wall of fire surged after them. Using a is insects Shino commanded them and created a wall to shield them from the flames. Successfully diverting the wave of fire Shino looked over his should for but a moment before refocusing on evacuating Kurenai.

"Shino do you think Naruto-kun is-" Hinata started to ask, unable to finish.

"His chances are poor-" Shino replied, "-but I don't think that explosion would do him in. If Naruto can't hold him at bay then that blast was his all or nothing gambit."

Hinata cringed at this truth before asking, "What about the Chunin we found, do you think he was caught in the blast?"

Although Hinata knew that was most certainly the case she felt like she had to ask anyway. Shino's response was not what she wanted to hear.

"I'm certain it did. It doesn't matter though. Why, because he was already dead before we even left."

Hinata looked down in pain. They couldn't save him. And Shino's answer confirmed that the girl that had knocked her out was most certainly caught in the blast. Despite everything they would all powerless. Even Naruto who had stopped Lancer was forced to use what Shino believed to be his "all or nothing gambit".

"There's a cave up ahead." Shino stated breaking Hinata from her thoughts. "We should hide there while we recover."

"But Naruto is.." Hinata began to argue.

"Is holding the enemy off. Kurenai is on the verge of dying if we don't treat her. You yourself are currently still reeling from your collision and most likely unable to use you byakugan at the moment. And I myself have lost over seventy percent of my colony protecting us form that blast." Shino stated in all seriousness. "We are in no condition to help Naruto right now. Even powerless against the enemy Naruto is distracting him so we can recover. If we are to help Naruto we must believe he has a plan and that we can recover fast enough and soon enough to help him. Why, because all of us are a liability to Naruto right now and going back would only lead us to our deaths."

"Shino is right..." Kurenai managed to mumble out.

"Sensei!" "Kurenai-sensei!"

Kurenai having regained a brief moment of consciousness spoke in ruff and haggard breaths. "Naruto's actions were in hindsight the right course of action. It seems Lancer struck one of my veins. The bleeding is worse then I thought. If what Lancer whispered to me is true then Naruto knew that that red spear was far more dangerous. If we want to help Naruto we have to recover. Even if he didn't survive, if we go back now his sacrifice will have been in vain."

Hinata still hesitant nodded in understanding.

"Don't worry Hinata. I doubt Naruto actually though he could hold off Lancer for long. That blast you mentioned might very well be the indication that he has escaped himself. He's not the type to go down with the enemy. I'm sure he's still alive." Kurenai said.

Hinata nodded feeling more confident that Naruto was still alive and well.

Shino on the other hand had something bugging him. Something that from what he knew about Naruto didn't quite make sense. Something that Kurenai mentioned that didn't seem to fit the situation.

"Sensei? What makes you think Naruto knew that that red spear was dangerous. How would he have known?" he asked.

"Simple," she coughed out as more blood left her lungs leaving her wonder just how many organs lancers spear hit. "Disregarding the information Lancer whispered to me. -cough cough- I think Naruto might be a sensor type."

"K... Ki...Hey..id..."

Naruto awoke to a voice shouting at him. His head was woozy and he felt light headed. He didn't know where he was of what was going on but as he slowly came to so did the clarity of the voice.

" **Oy! Kid wake up!** "

Naruto quickly recognized the voice. Shooting upward Naruto was surprised to see that he was at the bottom of a Ravine. His surprise ended just as quickly as Naruto's vision quickly began to swim within his eyes. Grabbing his head Naruto could feel a luke warm liquid above his eye.

" **Bout time you woke up!** "

"Kyu?" Naruto asked aloud. This was the first time he had communicated with the fox without entering his mindscape.

" **I told you not to... ughh never mind. Hurry up and patch yourself up. If you leave those wounds alone any longer you'll end up like that stupid instructor of yours.** " the fox instructed.

Looking down at himself Naruto was surprised to see he was sitting in a small puddle of his own blood. Removing his jacket Naruto was shocked to see that a few of the more serious wounds he received from Kurogin were still bleeding out and while the remainder had left numerous scars.

Naruto was shocked to say the least. He had never had scars before. Even when he pushed himself too far.

"Why am I not healing normally?"

" **That spear of his disrupts chakra and cuts it apart. Since you healing normal healing is caused by chakra it makes sense that your injuries aren't healing normally.** " The Kyuubi answered a-matter-a-factly.

"Makes sense I guess." Naruto muttered as he looked down. Beside him was the Iwa ninja that he had grabbed just as the explosion ignited Lancer. Realizing that he didn't know for how long he was out nor if Lancer was truly done for, Naruto picked up the girl and carrying her on his back started moving.

He didn't know where he was going but he knew that if he stayed put the chances of Lancer or another threat finding him would be greater. Injured and bleed out as he was, Naruto knew he wouldn't do very well in a fight.

As he walked Naruto noticed how quiet the Kyuubi had become a smirked a little. Judging from his wounds the Kyuubi had clearly helped close many of them as well as the injury to his head. Silently he thanked the fox.

For the rest of the day Naruto walked, carrying the unconscious girl on his back. While he traveled Naruto succeeded in avoiding detection which normally would have been no easy feet, even for him. There where at the least a dozen Iwa ninja flying all over the place and one misstep could have been the end for Naruto.

A leaf shinobi behind the border after said border was attacked was just asking for trouble. Especially with it being the Leaf hating Iwa shinobi. To his benefit Naruto had an advantage. By following his gut feelings he could tell when and from which direction and enemy ninja was coming from. Naruto slowly began to realize that when he felt a dark gaze press against him it meant an enemy was near. The sensation was different from time to time but in the end each sensation was While hiding with his transparency escape jutsu Naruto was left with plenty of time to think to himself.

His mind was plagued with plenty of questions. Most of these questions were centered around this strange feeling he had whenever a enemy was approaching. Was it a new ability caused by the Kyuubi within him? How did he get it and what was it exactly? Was this what it was like to be a sensor? Naruto shook his head at that thought. He had read plenty about Sensory types ever since he heard his grandmother was one from Jiraiya.

He knew sensory type ninja could gauge an enemy's strength and location simply by their chakra. It was similar to having a third eye that showed you an overview of your enemies locations within ones head, or so one expert described the skill as.

Yet Naruto knew what he was sensing wasn't chakra. Especially not the long range visual depictions that the books he had read described to him.

Pushing his curiosity aside, knowing he wasn't going to get any answers while hiding in a bush Naruto continued walking to avoid confrontation. Kurenai's lessons whispering reassuringly in the back of his mind.

He hoped Kurenai was okay as well as Shino and Hinata. Naruto knew he couldn't have bought them enough time to escape the range of his special paper bomb. All he could do was hope Shino could protect them and that Hinata could guide them to safety.

With the setting sun descending upon him faster then the ninja in his surroundings Naruto quickly located a place for himself and the girl to rest and recover. Finding a cavern in the mountain side Naruto laid the girl down and started to patch her up. Making a shadow clone he continued to care.

As the Clone made his way towards the cave entrance it observed the setting sun and quietly transformed into a wall hiding the cavern from sight.

A few miles away Shino was desperately fighting against a progressively worsening situation. A small wound on Kurenai's arm was progressively worsening and refused to stop bleeding. Hinata couldn't tell what was wrong and was clearly shaken by it. Even with her eyes all she could tell was that some foreign chakra along with her own was preventing her from healing.

"Shino, do you think Kurenai will be okay?" Hinata asked.

Shino remained silent as he racked his brain searching for a solution to their problem. He knew that if nothing was done Kurenai was sure to bleed out. Raising his arm a small swarm emerged as he tried to eat away the chakra that was hindering her healing. While it didn't stop the injury from worsening it was showing signs of slowing down.

"She'll make it for now. However if we don't do something about this infliction I don't think Kurenai-sensei will make it." Shino stated.

Hinata nodded solemnly. "What about Naruto-kun?"

"Naruto is fine."

Hinata looked up in surprise. "You found him?"

"No – and that's why I'm sure he's alright."

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked.

"What I mean is the fact that there is no sign of Naruto. If Naruto was in any trouble my insects would have spotted it. Naruto after all isn't the most subtle member of the team.

"Isn't that the truth."

Hinata and Shino nearly jumped out of their skin as Jiraiya walked up behind them.

"Lord Jiraiya. How did you-" Hinata asked before Mikon interrupted by answering her.

"Wasn't easy. We would have found you hours ago if not for the burning crater. Kinda wish I could have seen the explosion. It looked and sound like it was pretty awesome." Mikon shouted aloud with a dreamy look on her face.

Droping his fist on her head Jiraiya scowled at her. "Focus."

Looking at Kurenai, Jiraiya looked concerned as he focused on Kurenai's injury. Looking back at Shino he asked, "The situation is dire but I need to know one thing first, Did Naruto survive his fight against Lancer?"

 **Lancer possesses two spears, Kurogin or Black Silver is his silver colored lance and is able to cut through and dispel any jutsu or chakra it touches. Kurenai aka Deep Red is his crimson spear and is a cursed spear. Anything cut by Kurenai (the spear) will be cursed. The "wound" caused by Kurenai will become progressively worse and prevents wounds from naturally healing.  
**

 **Normally I had more to write but I'm half dead so sorry but for those who wanted me to add some more details here please forgive me as I'm heavily winded and want to keep my end of the month posting.**

 **December is gonna be heavy up until the 17th so yeah won't have a lot of free time to spell check and auto current this chapter and my last few chapters.**

 **Currently fighting a migraine but don't let that stop your reviewing. I am having trouble with outward messages so if I don't reply know that I did and have looked at what you all have to say. Means a lot and I love the feed back.**

 **-White**


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